The Godfaether
by Rin1010
Summary: AU. Lauren and Bo were raised in the McCorrigan crime family. Bo stayed with the family and is pitted to be don one day, but Lauren left with no intention of ever returning. When events happen that bring Lauren home, she is given an offer she just can't seem to refuse.
1. An Offer She Can't Refuse

Title: The Godfaether

Category: _Lost Girl_, Lauren/Bo

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the already establish characters or the premise of the show. I also do not own anything from the various mafia and crime dramas where the quotes (which will be properly cited) derive. They are directly owned by the respective parties, and some of the dialogue in this story is directly credited to the writers of the _Lost Girl_ series.

Spoilers: None for the actual show, though as mentioned, dialogue from the show it used in different contexts.

Rating: M for Mature

Story Summary: AU. Lauren and Bo were raised in the McCorrigan crime family. Bo stayed with the family and is pitted to be don one day, but Lauren left with no intention of ever returning. When events happen that bring Lauren home, she is given an offer she just can't seem to refuse.

Author's Note: This story is an exploration of these characters in an entirely new environment. It's those crazy dreams of mine; they come up with the craziest scenarios. When writing this, I had to ask myself a lot of questions about how these characters would honestly react given their personalities and these different situations. I already feel like Trick and the entirety of the fae in the show have this seedy crime underbelly, so I wanted to pull in my love for classic mafia films. I couldn't resist putting quotes from films as a start to each new chapter, carefully chosen to relay the theme or overall feeling of that chapter. Originally, I had planned on adding the fae elements in there, but honestly, I wound up removing them because the humanity (and lack thereof) of this world was badass enough. Just for clarity, nobody has fae powers and everyone is human.

I do need to warn you that this may _seem_ like it starts out slow because a lot needs to happen before the girls get together. This story was challenging to write because I wanted to stay true to the characters and realistic to the emotional responses given the events surrounding them. Just remember that this is alternate POV, so there is quite a bit going on around these two that you don't see.

I'm happy to finally share this with you! If you would like, I will be posting teaser lines from the next chapter on tumblr (look for Rin1010). I will be posting new chapters on Mondays and Fridays, barring life doesn't get too busy or random.

Without further ado, I welcome you to "The Godfaether."

* * *

Chapter One: An Offer She Can't Refuse

_"I don't like violence, Tom. I'm a businessman. Blood is a big expense."_

-Solozzo from _The Godfather_

Lauren shouldn't have been surprised to get the phone call. Not that she was ever close to her father, especially the past seven years; at least not since Nadia was killed. For years, she was convinced the only reason he even attended her girlfriend's funeral was because Trick was there, and wherever Trick went, her father went. Even knowing what her father did for a living, even though he provided everything she could ever want, and even though he made sure she was always protected, Lauren hadn't really felt safe since she witnessed the business firsthand. It wasn't a hard decision to never look back after the funeral, even if she knew the family was somehow lurking in the shadows and she was never truly away from them. Still, it was nice to make believe sometimes; it made it easier to go about her daily life. It made it easier to ignore her father.

Sure, he was a lawyer, but he was a private lawyer for the McCorrigan family, and Lauren found out the hard way just how much influence and power bred just as powerful and influential enemies. She didn't know she was living in a bad, real life mafia movie. Even when she found out, it wasn't like she had any say in the matter.

Unfortunately, Nadia was the one who paid the ultimate price because of the family. Lauren wasn't even part of it; not really. Nadia definitely wasn't part of the family, and Lauren never felt comfortable committing fully because of the lies she always had to tell. They were talking about marriage and kids and the long term, and Lauren was thinking about revealing the family business and secrets to her so they could finally be together completely. Something always kept her from saying anything, though. Then, it was too late. Lauren still didn't know if she ever would have opened up completely.

She never liked lying to her friends and lovers; it's why Bo was so easy to be with when they were younger, despite how shitty the other girl treated her when they were in public. So, when Lauren found Nadia, when she was in the process of falling in love with her, she was ready to run away. They made these grand plans, and she promised Nadia even grander adventures. Lauren had just finished med school, after all, and she made arrangements to do research overseas, whisking Nadia as far away as possible from the craziness that was the McCorrigan crime syndicate.

Oh, the beauty and overly romantic ideals of young love.

However, being caught in the crossfire during a child's birthday party was what made the entire thing so much worse. The party was supposed to represent innocence and represented the naivete that came with childhood. Lauren couldn't remember whose birthday it even was, but she remembered how she felt being there, which was better than constantly replaying the image of Nadia being shot while she walked across the lawn to refill their punch. It was the one and only time Lauren failed as a doctor, and it was the one and only time when it counted the most.

That was seven years ago, and the only reason she really thought about it now was because it was the first time she'd really been back in this place since it happened. Since then, she had served two tours in Afghanistan, which forced her to learn how to fight for herself and how to fight to save others. Since her last tour, she had spent all of her time in the Congo doing medical research, hoping that by moving so much from village to village that nobody would be able to find her. For all intents and purposes, Lauren Lewis wanted to disappear completely. She wanted to be a ghost to these people, but she knew that pipedream would be over sooner rather than later.

The family always found you.

She just didn't expect it would be because her father's last heart attack actually would kill him. When she talked to him on the phone last month, he promised he was doing better and was taking his medicines. If her mother was still alive, she would have never let this happen to him. Now, a bit of Lauren's lost humanity was showing as she felt guilty for the short, final, and extremely clinical conversation with her father. She could have at least told him that her research was going well, but she didn't want him to find her. It's why she always called from a strange phone the night before she moved to a new village. She could've asked about her sister and brother. She could've asked about her niece and nephew. She could've even asked how his favorite hockey team was doing this season. Instead, she just called to let him know she was alive and to let her know the same about him.

She really shouldn't have been surprised that the McCorrigan family knew exactly how to contact her when it happened. Honestly, she felt guilty for being more angry that they called her at all than sad that it was because her father died.

When she stepped into her father's house, she realized she had never even been there. The place was cold and distant, just like they were. There was nothing warm or inviting about it. It was smaller than she would have expected, since her dad used to love lavish things. Then again, the place was still exaggerated and way too big for one man. He never remarried after Lauren's mother died because he was already married to his work and to his other family. It's exactly where Lauren learned two of her most apparent traits: being work-consumed and being loyal. Lauren couldn't say the same about her love life since Nadia died; she took a handful of lovers over the years in her moments of weakness. They were few and far between, but she did have them. Most of the time, she was so obsessed with her work and finding answers and cures to things that didn't have answers or cures. She wanted to make the world a better place because, in her mind, she needed to give something back to save the world her family spent centuries corrupting.

At least Trick was an honest and just don, and he was always a pleasant man as long as you did what he said. Her father served as his consigliere ever since Trick took over for his father. They had grown up together; they were best friends throughout school because Lauren's grandfather was one of Trick's father's most trusted capos. "Keep it in the family" was what her father used to say whenever they recalled the story to new members of the regime. It was what he used to tell Lauren before tucking her in at night.

The only time he ever broke from that was when he caught her and Bo making out in Trick's office when they were teenagers. Nobody was supposed to know about them; those were Bo's rules, and she didn't mind keeping to them because she didn't want people to know that the same girl who terrorized her at school was the girl she was making out with behind closed doors at family events. When her father caught them, that was the only time he didn't say "keep it in the family" because apparently, it was okay to keep it in the family as long as it wasn't with the don's granddaughter, who would probably be don herself one day. They didn't sneak around anymore after that, though there was an incident at their high school graduation party. Lauren moved away the next week to get a jump start on college and internships, and she really hadn't thought that much about Bo since then. At least, she tried not to think about Bo.

She would definitely be hard to avoid now, though. The last time Lauren saw her was at Nadia's funeral; she wasn't really paying attention to her then other than acknowledging her presence. The only reason Lauren remembered it now was because she realized she couldn't avoid anything anymore. She knew it was a given that she would run into Bo again, especially now that she was stuck here for however long it took to get her father's estate settled. She didn't look forward to the reunion, but she knew it was inevitable. At least she didn't see her at the funeral this time; then again, Lauren was a little preoccupied with trying to keep her composure, so it was one moment she could honestly say she wasn't thinking about Bo.

She also really didn't look forward to meeting with Trick again this evening, but he had allowed her time to settle in to her father's house and freshen up before the meeting. At least he had ensured the funeral and everything was settled, since she didn't get in until this morning. Her brother and sister were useless in that regard, too. Lauren found it funny, as she stood there staring at her father, peaceful and cold in his open casket, that she realized she actually did love him. He was her father, and he was good to her. Since she was the oldest, she had more time with him; she was really the only one who remembered their mom, too. The other two didn't know how warm and loving their father used to be; he had loved their mother, and when she passed when Lauren was only seven, he buried himself with work and didn't know how to interact with his children anymore.

His legal estate didn't even give them time to grieve long, as they went right from the cemetery to the lawyer's office. She wasn't surprised that the will and inheritance was clearcut without any room for argument, though her brother and sister still tried to argue. Her father was actually a damn fine lawyer. It's why the McCorrigan family business never found itself in any legal trouble. He was hard-working, loyal, and good at his job, and Lauren could definitely respect that.

However, she didn't really want his house or his car; the ones he left to her and not her siblings. She didn't even really want his money, though she could admit it would be helpful for privately funding her research and projects. Split in three parts; that's how he did it. At least his other properties, the ones given to her brother and sister, were far, far away, so she didn't have to worry about them living close to her. However, this house, the one her father actually lived in looked like the opposite of a home. There were blank, white walls and zero decorations. There wasn't even a throw pillow or lamp. Everything in the place was only there for functional purposes. It was the most sterile, white space Lauren had ever been in, and she was a doctor. The only thing decorating the entire house was his organized collection of medicine sitting along the right sink in the ensuite bathroom, which Lauren wasn't surprised to find he was either forgetting or failing to take.

When she made it to the McCorrigan mansion, Lauren actually felt her palms start to sweat. The last time she was here, her life was completely shattered. This place had once promised happy memories when she was a child, but once she turned fifteen, once she found out the truth, all she could think about were the unhappy ones. Nadia died here. Bo broke her heart here. Her father helped run a crime organization here. All of the times she ever smiled in this place were washed over by the bad times. It was like they played on repeat as she walked up the steps and into Trick's study.

He was waiting for her there, and the dark and warm colors and full decorations of this place made her feel like this was an actual home. This place was inviting, despite the blood spilled inside, around, and because of it. Much like her father's hair had grayed around his temples, so had Trick's. He was a short-statured man, but Trick always was the most intimidating person Lauren ever met, including the armies of men she would see in the field during her two tours. He had power for a reason, and Lauren understood why they nicknamed him "the Blood King." She had no doubt he had a lot of blood on his hands, and he ruled because of it. Still, he was a pleasant man, despite all of his family secrets and power. He had been loyal and great with her father, and Lauren could respect that, too. She owed this man more than she would ever be willing to admit, which was why she was more than nervous about meeting with him on her own. He hadn't requested an audience with all of the Lewis children; only her.

"Lauren." Trick stood from his desk and came to embrace her. It was awkward for her, since she had spent so much time avoiding much intimate contact with others. She had managed to keep people at a distance yesterday at the funeral, so she was surprised she allowed it now. When he pulled back from the hug, she was grateful when he motioned for them to sit and get down to business. She never really liked formalities. Again, the familiar guilt surfaced about the last conversation she had with her father. "Despite the circumstances, it is good to see you alive and well. Your father was proud of you. You've turned into an extremely valuable asset to the world."

"I'm glad you think so highly of me." Lauren clenched her jaw, utilizing every lesson she ever learned about keeping her stoicism and hiding her emotions. It was one thing her father taught her well.

"Your father's passing affects us all." Trick cleared his throat with a commanding presence. Lauren never let her eyes wander from his, so she found the gesture unnecessary. He had her undivided attention already, which only meant he was bracing himself for whatever he had to tell her. "I'm sure you're aware how we keep a close eye on you. It's always been your father's wishes that we know you were safe and taken care of. We put you through college and med school and made sure your projects were always funded. I just want you to know that even though your father has passed, you are still an important part of this family. We wouldn't have invested time and resources on you if we didn't think so."

"How? How important?" Lauren arched a questioning eyebrow at him, a practiced gesture to let him know she knew this meeting was about family business and he could get on with it.

"Your father was the best advisor I ever could have asked for, and I'd like to keep it in the family." Trick stood before moving to the tiny bar area he had in his office. He poured two tumblers with what Lauren assumed was scotch. Her throat felt dry, and she knew the alcohol wouldn't help, but her body tingled in anticipation because she knew it would be the good stuff. It had been a long time since she'd had the good stuff. "I know you are in the medical field, but a consigliere's duties aren't solely for legal purposes. The consigliere is the person I trust the most and who I know will be a trustworthy and honest advisor. I trusted your father, and he trusted you. Therefore, I would like to request you as his replacement."

"Do I have a say in the matter?" Lauren tried her best not to sound annoyed, but she could hear the hint escaping in her tone. Trick noticed it as he moved to hand her the second tumbler. She sipped slowly and precisely, like her father taught her, to calm herself again. She was glad to find it was more than the top shelf good stuff she and Bo used to sneak; this was better. "My apologies, sir."

"You've had a long, hard couple of days, especially today. I would be more worried if you didn't show some emotion." Trick came to sit back down beside her again. "Lauren, I know this is a big decision for you. It's a major life change and a lot of responsibility. I'm aware of your misgivings about the family business, but that's also what makes you right for the job. You'll keep me honest and let me know when things aren't. I can hire a team of lawyers just as good, if not better, than your father, but the one thing that can't be replaced is that loyalty and trust. The reason we have survived this long is because he kept me honest, especially when it would have been so easy not to be. I'm not forcing you; you do have a say in the matter, and you should know this will not affect your research or work negatively should you decide not to do this. You're still family, and family sticks together."

"Can I have the night to sleep on it?" Lauren had a feeling she wouldn't accept it, but she did owe Trick a lot, and he deserved for her to at least think about the offer. "I won't make you wait long, but you're right. This is a major decision, and I'm flattered you would offer this to me. It's an honor, Don."

"Sleep on it. Get back to me when you can." Trick took the tumbler from Lauren when she offered it back to him. She only took the one sip, wanting to keep her composure since it was close to breaking and remembering the last time she was drunk in this office when she was seventeen. It was a shame she couldn't enjoy the scotch properly. "Go home and get some rest. If you need anything, there's a detail patrolling your house every hour. We can talk more tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir." Lauren stood at attention, posture not unlike her years in the field. In college, she rebelled from authority figures and protested big corporations. After Nadia, Lauren wasn't surprised to find how easy it was to take orders and lose her Self completely again. She had spent so much time these past few years in the Congo, running from who she was. Now that she was faced with exactly who she was again, Lauren didn't know how to reconcile her past and present with her future. No matter what she decided, she knew that her life would never be the same.

* * *

Bo was glad to finally sleep in and get some rest. She hadn't been able to really sleep properly the past week because she had to fight with Bryce about going over to Trick's. It was getting harder to hide the business from him the more involved she became in the actual business. He was such a curious guy, and he was always asking her questions about what it was she actually did for Trick. It was like he never believed her when she would explain to him that she only did PR work for the winery, though she had gradually been taking over most aspects of the winery. When she moved back from college, she didn't expect Trick would even let her work, but she convinced him to give her an actual job as a soldier. It was the perfect lifestyle for her. She didn't want to sit around and do nothing in an office all day; she wanted to party all night. She actually loved asserting her dominance and kicking ass. Her string of lovers over the years frustrated him enough that when Bryce came into the picture, Trick finally let her put her education to use to encourage her to settle down.

Bryce was harder to deal with this week because Mr. Lewis had died, and she wasn't ready to explain everything to him yet. Every time Bo saw Mr. Lewis at the compound, she would immediately remember Lauren and how much regret she had about the entire situation. Seeing him was a constant reminder of what she lost and could've had if she hadn't been so self-absorbed. If she was just able to admit to Trick and the world that she was madly in love with Lauren Lewis and didn't care what others thought. Not that she would've been able to appreciate it back then, though.

Bo knew she was a mean girl in school, and she knew she made it harder on Lauren because of her feelings she tried so hard to deny. Honestly, she never really cared until about five years ago about how shitty she was. Not until she started working at the vineyard and would see Mr. Lewis all of the time. Not until Bryce. Once he was born, Bo found herself looking back on her life and reflecting on every little detail. Mr. Lewis had served as a tangible reminder of how horrible she really was because nobody had heard from or seen Lauren since her girlfriend was shot all those years ago. Bo so desperately wanted to care back then, at the girl's funeral, but she had been so busy being angry at the world and being scared of herself. She was mad Lauren could move on from her and fall in love with somebody who wasn't her, even if they hadn't seen each other in years, so Bo had made it a point that Lauren noticed her at the funeral. It was like she wanted to rub it in that she was still alive and her girlfriend wasn't.

That's why she fought with Bryce this week. He was only four, and she didn't want to explain death to him yet. It was hard being surrounded by so much of it her entire life. It's why she did her best to not kill whenever she had to fight someone. Not that she didn't, but she never particularly liked being the one giving the final blow. It was funny how she was the person who decided who got to live and die, but she most often chose life herself, even if she gave the orders to the other soldiers in her capo regime to finish somebody. She wanted to shield her son from it just a little longer.

He didn't seem to understand why he couldn't go to Papa Trick's this week, especially today because Sundays were his day with his great grandfather. Bo wanted to be proper, though, so she had Bryce's nanny stay with him while she went to pay her respects to Mr. Lewis. She would have skipped just out of fear of seeing Lauren again and wanting to actually be respectful at the funeral this time, but Trick would never let her get away with it. Not when it was the consigliere's funeral. Plus, she always liked Mr. Lewis, and he never told Trick about her and Lauren, so Bo was always grateful and careful around him. Even knowing what he did about them, Mr. Lewis never treated Bo horribly or held the knowledge as blackmail. It was easy to see how Lauren got her caring and compassionate sides, even if none of the Lewis family ever shared or showed too much emotion; at least not since Mrs. Lewis died. That was part of the challenge and why Bo fell in love with Lauren the second she actually did show those things to her. How could she not?

Trick was already in process of teaching her the family business so she could take over for him, and she didn't think skipping the consigliere's funeral just because you were afraid of seeing a secret ex again would be a good excuse to miss. If she was going to be don, if she was going to lead the family one day, she had to show that she could despite personal drama.

That didn't mean she had to see Lauren, though. Well, she didn't have to let Lauren see her. It was kind of hard not to notice Lauren since it was her father's funeral and she was front and center. She looked different, and Bo felt guilty for realizing how age and life had somehow made Lauren even more attractive. Her father's funeral was not the time to be thinking about how beautiful Lauren had become. Bo had learned her lesson from last time. This wasn't about her and those dormant emotions and vivid memories. It was about letting somebody grieve without the stress of an unhinged ex adding stalking to the event. At least Bo had long ago accepted her feelings and learned to not be selfish. So, she stayed back and waited to send her condolences when Lauren had ducked away for a moment. After that, Bo found Trick to let him know she was there and left to go take Bryce for ice cream.

Unfortunately, he was taking a nap when she got home, so they had to postpone the ice cream run. Honestly, it was more for her than it was for him, but he didn't need to know that. She was allowed to be a little selfish now and then. Having a kid definitely changed everything about her. She was no longer partying at all hours. No, now she was home by 9:00 and in bed by 10:00 because she knew Bryce would be up at the backass of dawn. Kenzi helped when she could, particularly whenever Bo had a date, but even dating and casual sex no longer had the appeal it once did. Bo actually felt like she was a former sex monster who lost her claws and bite. Not that she didn't get the urge, but she was too exhausted most of the time to even bother with dates or sex. Until she saw Lauren earlier, Bo didn't even realize it had been seven months since she'd gotten laid. It had been four months since she'd been on a date. Perhaps that was why Lauren was extra attractive today. Maybe Bo just needed to release some tension and the memories of her and Lauren together came flooding in at her without warning. They were pretty epic memories.

Bryce came trudging into the living room, gripping that damned blanket she had been trying for months to get him to forget. His dark, curly locks were disheveled and his face still held pillow creases. He came and crawled onto the couch and snuggled up to her, and she immediately wrapped him into her embrace. He was once an overly affectionate kid, but lately, he had been trying to break free from her more and more. She missed these moments, and she relished them when they came because she knew one day he would try to ignore her affections completely. It made her want more kids.

"Mary said you were good today." Bo ran her fingers through his baby soft curls, knowing she needed to get him a haircut because it was easier to fix his hair when it was in a fade. She loved her son's hair, but it always took longer to fix when she let it grow out like this. His father wanted to let it grow out even more so he could have pictures of his son's first afro, but his father didn't have to fix his hair every morning, so she won that one. "I was thinking about ordering a pizza and watching a movie tonight. How does that sound?"

"Only if I can pick the movie and you don't get green peppers." He had obviously been hanging around Kenzi too long because he used to love green peppers. In fact, he used to grab the pepper slices from the vegetable tray first, though Bo learned immediately to give him his own plate of dip because he really didn't eat the veggies until he had used the same pepper to dip in the ranch dressing until it was gone. He had obviously seen Kenzi do that, too.

"Okay, but I'm putting my foot down on the mushrooms. Also, no more _Avengers_ or _Cars._ How about a new movie tonight? Something we haven't seen yet?"

"But you told Aunt Kenzi this morning that it would be good to see old films." He must have heard their conversation in the kitchen after breakfast when Bo was talking to Kenzi about seeing Lauren again.

"I was talking about old 'flames,' baby, not 'films.' Besides, _Avengers_ and _Cars_ are not old films."

"They are to me. I'm only four, mom."

"Touché." Bo chuckled when she noticed her son's signature "you're not fooling anybody" look. Of course Kenzi would point out that he does this, and of course his mother would be the one person he used it on the most. "I had to see an old friend today that I haven't seen in a long time."

"She made you sad?" Bryce narrowed his eyes. He definitely had her eyes and expressions, and he was so handsome. Between her genes and his father's genes, Bryce would have no trouble picking up anybody he wanted because of his natural charm and good looks.

"No, baby. She didn't make me sad. Today was just a sad day. Remember I told you we wouldn't be seeing Mr. Lewis anymore? I had to go and say goodbye to him and see my old friend, his daughter." Bo let out a deep breath and pulled her son closer to her. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose a parent. Seeing Lauren today also reminded Bo that Lauren had now lost both of her parents to diseases and lost a lover because of the family business. Bo knew her father was from the rival family, and her mother was currently off running around Europe with husband number five. Really, Trick was the closest family she had, and he had left her with Mary Dennis when she was younger. She had actually changed her name to Dennis when she was a soldier because she didn't want others to know who she was because of her last name. She trusted Mary because she was a lovely woman and taught her a lot growing up, which was why she didn't mind hiring her to watch Bryce, though she didn't know how much longer it would last because Mary was getting older and Bryce was getting more demanding of attention and time. Plus, he started school next year, so she wouldn't need her as much. "I love you, sweetie. Always remember that, okay?"

"Geez, mom." Bryce rolled his eyes at her, but he didn't move from his spot snuggled into her. "Okay, a new movie, and you can get green peppers as long as there are mushrooms, too."

"Deal." Bo kissed the top of his head before he extracted himself again and ran into his room, still clinging tightly to that blanket. He was a good kid, and she wanted to teach him how to respect and love others. She didn't want him to be the mean kid like she was in high school. She wanted him to know it was okay to love anybody he wanted.

She heard him playing and singing in his room, as she made her way to her own bedroom to change out of her funeral dress and heels. She pulled on a pair of sweats and a tanktop and transformed into Mom Bo again. After she ordered the pizza, Bo moved to browse the films on the Netflix app to see what was new. She looked in her queue and saw a film she'd forgotten was even on there. She hadn't seen it since it came out in theatres when she was in high school, and she must've been in one of her retrospective moods when she put it on there. It made her think about Lauren again, since they were supposed to go see this film together, before they were caught and Bo ended things before the actual public date. She kept absent-mindedly browsing through the new releases, realizing that some old films were worth another watch.


	2. It's Just Business

Chapter Two: It's Just Business

_"A man of honor always pays his debts and keeps his word."_ - John Rooney from _Road to Perdition_

* * *

The rain outside was audibly present as Lauren tried to concentrate on work. She was trying to gather some thoughts on her latest work back in the Congo, but she just couldn't seem to stay focused. She wasn't sure if it was the storm outside the house or the one brewing inside of her.

The open floor plan and floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the main room weren't the most practical for an all weather house, and even though the view overlooking the city from up here was breathtaking, Lauren couldn't imagine what this place would be like in the yearly snowstorms. There was even a pool out back, despite her father not being a fan of swimming, which was odd considering he had this place built for himself. There wasn't even water in the pool, and she suspected it never had been. If she was going to stick around, Lauren did think it would be nice to start swimming again.

Swimming and tennis; those were her two sports in high school. When she wasn't studying or joining academic clubs or spending time doing volunteer work at the hospital, she was swimming or playing tennis. When she was in the Congo, she would swim for leisure, but she never stayed in the water long because of the parasites and snakes. For living in the rainforest these past few years, Lauren would react like a scared little girl whenever her party or team saw a snake. That was one of the perks of being back in the city, she supposed: not having to worry about what various creatures could cause them danger. She only had to look out for the human danger here. That was a perk and so was the swimming pool, though she wasn't positive if she preferred the unpredictable nature of the rainforest to the humans here in the city. Still, no snakes and a swimming pool were nice.

She wasn't sure how long she would be staying to enjoy it, though. Last night, she had gone to sleep convinced she wouldn't take Trick's offer, but as she was going through her father's documents, she started to be intrigued at the challenge this position offered. The problem was that she was a medical doctor and researcher. She didn't think she really could provide Trick much advice, despite his explanation that she would be perfect for the job. Briefly, she wondered why he didn't ask her brother or sister, since they lived closer than a jungle in Africa. Chad was even a lawyer, though he was focused on divorce court rather than criminal proceedings. Lauren had never met her niece, Chad's daughter, until yesterday, though she had seen pictures of her, and she was just as adorable in person. She had also never met Chad's husband before yesterday, either. He seemed nice enough, but he tried too hard to be her friend, and Lauren felt their entire interaction was forced and insincere.

Her sister would have been a good choice, too. Karen only lived five hours away and actually worked for the family already, so she was the most logical choice of the three. Sure, she had a ten-year-old son, too, but was children the outlying factor of why they weren't asked instead of her? Lauren had met her nephew and used to dote on him when he was a baby, treating him like he was a precious diamond. Karen had Mikey when she was in high school, while Lauren was away at Yale, but that didn't stop her from coming to visit a lot. She loved that kid, and when he hugged her yesterday, it was the only time at the funeral that she truly felt relief at being home.

No snakes, a swimming pool, and Mikey hugs.

She wanted kids herself, though she had long ago given up the dream of having a family. Instead, she saw her nephew and her own imagined children in all of the kids she helped overseas. The only time she ever let her emotional guards down was when she was with those kids because they always brought out the joy in her, despite the sadness at losing a lot of them from whatever disease they were battling. Lauren knew she couldn't save them all, but she really wanted to, so she kept overworking herself and hoping her next project would save the next life.

Lauren was logical and had zero ties to other people. She was successful, organized, and loyal. Her two tours in Afghanistan and time in the Congo gave her discipline and the ability to think quickly and efficiently in any situation. It made perfect sense why Trick would ask her to take over for her father. Still, she had spent the past seven years running from her father and the family. Why would she want to come back now? What was really keeping her besides honoring her father's legacy and respecting the wishes of the don? She didn't know if she wanted to come back and be second-in-command to this business. She didn't know if she could handle it. Despite what Trick said, somehow, Lauren didn't think she had a choice.

Last night, she had gone to sleep convinced she wouldn't take the position. So, why was she seriously considering it now?

She had to admit luxuries like air conditioning and swimming pools held promise, but she didn't want to give up what she loved because of material things. She didn't become a doctor for the family; she became a doctor because it's what she wanted. It was her way of trying to prevent more children from experiencing the death of a parent. It was her way to give back to the world what she felt her family took away. It was her calling. She couldn't just stop; it was part of her now.

Lauren opened another box from the stack in the main room, the rain pelting the windows around her as she sat at the kitchen island and cupped the still warm cup of coffee in her right palm. She moved to take a sip as she pulled the papers from the box and started to organize them in the appropriate piles. Her brother, sister, and their families were staying at the compound, but Lauren didn't really want to go over today, choosing to stay and sleep in after yesterday's long flight and events. She stopped mid sip when she realized this was a box of her things: her old report cards; a few of her published articles from college and after; her acceptance letters to Yale and med school.

There was even that love letter Bo snuck into her Chemistry textbook during class one day. Lauren rolled her eyes at how foolish she was back then to believe the words and apology in that letter. She didn't need to open it and read it to know what it said; just a bunch of empty promises and declarations from a girl who broke her heart. Lauren was actually surprised she still had the letter, and she wondered why her dad had it stacked in the box labeled "Lauren's most important things."

He never really made a big deal out of it after he caught them together; his warning to stop seeing her fell on deaf ears anyways, since Bo had taken care of that for him. As far as first times and first loves went, Bo was complicated, but Lauren knew it was impossible to forget how loving and amazing the other girl was in private. Wasn't that why she stayed with her? Wasn't that why she gave in and fell in love with her? However, it was the memories of what it was like with Bo in public that really caused Lauren to be distant. A love letter one second and being called "nerdbait" in the halls the next. A major con on her list to being consigliere would definitely be Bo. There was no doubt she was still roaming around and breaking hearts, and Lauren wasn't sure she wanted to be around that again. She'd rather deal with real snakes than metaphorical ones.

Moving on through the box, she found a few more basic documents until she came across a picture frame. She put down the mug and smiled when she pulled out the photo she used to keep on her nightstand at the old house, which her father apparently sold a few years ago. She was glad he didn't throw out _all_ of the memories from that house, though, especially this picture. It was her favorite photo of her and her mother, laughing and obviously enjoying themselves as they ate cotton candy during a family festival at the compound. Lauren had thrown up from the overindulgence, but she was only six so she was forgiven for her lack of control and discipline. This was right before they found out her mom was sick.

Lauren felt a sudden urge she wasn't ready to define and chose not to think too much about it. She went over to her father's desk and propped the picture up there before moving over to stare outside the wall windows and glance out through the rain down into the city. The compound was only a mile away, and she knew this house was built here for that purpose, just on the outskirts of the McCorrigan's property. This house was an extremely private place despite the open floorplan and windows for walls, and Lauren actually felt comfortable here for the first time since arriving yesterday. It was another thing she couldn't define and chose not to just yet.

Before she could change her mind, she pulled the phone from her pocket that was given to her yesterday. She only had three numbers on there, so it wasn't hard to figure out how to dial Trick's number. She just pushed his name on her screen, and the phone started to ring. If only decisions were this easy to make.

"Lauren, I didn't actually expect to hear from you today. Good to know you stay true to your word." He always sounded so delightful, even over the phone. It was hard to imagine this man was capable of taking out entire families with just one word or flick of a wrist. Again, Lauren wasn't sure she could handle being the second hand in a crime family, but she was willing to try since she honestly didn't want to know what would happen if she refused. At least this way, she felt like it was her decision.

"Dad always said to 'keep it in the family,' and I want to honor him and you for everything you've ever done for me." Lauren looked out at the rain, only now realizing this was the first time she was caught in a rainstorm and didn't feel muggy or damp. She had an actual roof over her head and not a tent or tarp. "I'm willing to try, but I want you to know I can't make any promises, and I'll want to continue with my actual work. I can't stop being a doctor."

"Of course." Trick didn't have to explain that he knew she would need to start a practice of some sort to keep attention away from her. He was no doubt smart enough to have thought about that before he even asked her to take the position. It kind of scared her and delighted her both that the politics behind medicine would be so easy for her. It was the politics of the actual business that would be the problem, and she would be lying if she said it didn't frighten her. "You can serve as my ward first; sort of like a trial run. Meanwhile, we can rent a space downtown, and you can open a private practice. Of course the majority of your patients will be family, but you're welcome to treat others as long as they're not from other families. You know the rules, I'm sure."

"I'll have to send word to my colleagues in the Congo. I don't want the research team to stop just because I'm not there overseeing them anymore." Lauren felt like she was abandoning her life, but the Congo wasn't really home. Neither was this house, but this city was, and she had to admit she was seduced by its unspoken promises. She had to stop running at some point; might as well be now.

"That can be arranged." He cleared his throat again, and Lauren could hear a young boy's voice yelling in excitement for him. "Come by tomorrow around noon and we'll have lunch. We can sit down then and start talking details."

"Of course." Lauren straightened her posture and stood at attention, despite being alone. "I look forward to it, Don."

"Please, call me Trick, Lauren." He sounded like he was smiling but distracted. "I'll see you tomorrow. For now, get some rest. I'll send Hale over later with some files for you to look over before tomorrow."

"Thank you." Lauren hadn't seen Hale yesterday at the funeral, which surprised her. He was her one real friend in the family when they were growing up. He had been there for her during Nadia's funeral, and she felt kind of disappointed that she didn't see him at her father's. She didn't realize it until now, but she was looking for him and was worried something had happened to him while she was gone these seven years. It's not like she made an effort to contact him. The only person she really talked to was her father. Hale's number was one of her three, though, so she didn't have an excuse anymore.

After the call ended, Lauren went back to just staring at the rain outside. If it kept up, she wouldn't need to worry about hiring someone to fill the pool, since it looked like she was going to be here for quite some time now.

* * *

After lunch, it wasn't hard to convince Bryce to head over to the compound so he could play with Maddie. Chad Lewis's little girl was a cutie, and Bryce was his mother's son, after all. He may have been four, but Bryce was already a lady killer. They only ever saw Chad and Maddie two or three times a year, and every time Bryce saw her, he fell in love all over again. It was extremely adorable to watch, and Bo could never refuse him wanting to play with her when she was in town. Bo was convinced it just ran in the family for the Lewis women because she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Lauren since yesterday, either.

They walked into the compound, and Bryce ran ahead of her, somehow always knowing when Trick would be in his study. Bo really needed to stop him from barging in there, since there were some things she didn't want her to son to know about his great grandfather yet. Bo remembered the day she discovered who he really was, and she had taken it out on everyone around her. That's when she truly started to become the mean girl she was back then because she didn't know how to respond to what happened. Honestly, she didn't even have all of the details, and it was one thing she preferred not knowing. All she knew was that her family didn't like her first boyfriend Kyle, and it took her a long time to understand why nobody liked him. Bo had been pushing aside some of the hidden things throughout her life; she repressed and never wanted to believe the horrible things she heard whispered in the compound halls as a child. However, when Kyle disappeared not long after Bo lost her virginity to him, she accepted that there was more to her family than just privilege. She wasn't entirely convinced Trick didn't have him killed. She never believed the story her mother would tell her about boys being jerks after they got what they wanted. Still, Bo could admit she was afraid of the actual answer, which is why she stopped asking when Trick lost his temper on her not long after.

At least her reaction to that wasn't as bad as when she found out her father was the don of another family. When her immediate response was to fool around with several of her father's soldiers, thinking she was getting back at both him and Trick by doing so, Bo should have known her erratic and overly aggressive and sexual behavior would get her in trouble one day. She wished she had a nickel for every time somebody said "like mother, like daughter" to her, though at least people weren't giving her that knowing, judgmental look anymore. Still, if it had to be any one of her father's soldiers, she was glad it was Avery.

Two good things came from her overdramatic reaction: Bryce and her father. While they couldn't be close for obvious reasons, Bo finally felt herself want to grow up once she finally knew who she was and wanted to become. It was hard never knowing who her father was. It was even harder when she found out her life was a real life mafia drama. Still, she had managed to get to this point without any scars she couldn't handle, both physically and emotionally. She had done some questionable things, hurt and killed a lot of people, and been an overall horrible person. The family had gotten to her, and she wasn't afraid to admit that Bryce probably saved her life. She had gained enough experience to know herself and what she needed and wanted now. She didn't want to be cold and distant; she wanted her son to know love. It's why she loved when Chad and his family came to visit because it gave her a chance to encourage and teach him how to love in return.

Bo walked into the study to find Bryce already sitting on Trick's lap, despite the older man being on the telephone. Bo dropped Bryce's overnight bag on the couch, knowing Trick would insist he stay the night since they had been apart all week and missed Papa Trick Day. Bo didn't realize how much her grandfather was actually aging, but sitting there with the fourth generation of McCorrigans on his lap made him look every bit the 68 he was. Bo remembered doing the exact same thing and always being excited to see Trick when she was little. Part of her wanted to be that naïve and innocent again because when she looked at her grandfather now, all she saw was the violence and distrust.

"Please call me Trick, Lauren." He only ever let those closest to him call him by his name, and Lauren was always too damn polite to call him that, so Bo knew that was falling on deaf ears. It actually made her chuckle lightly under her breath as she moved further into the study.

Knowing Lauren was on the phone and gathering that she would be around for a while longer didn't help alleviate Bo's stress, either. It was easy to stay away from her out of respect for a few hours, but it was another thing if she'd be back in town for however long, especially since she was staying at her father's house just a mile from the mansion. Trick ended the phone conversation and turned his full attention to Bryce, who was leaning forward to grab a pen from the desk so he could probably draw something for Trick. His new favorite hobby was drawing pictures for people, which Bo had to admit were starting to look like actual things and not the adorable scribbles they used to be. She was glad Mary was actually teaching him, which honestly worried Bo because her former caretaker was truly starting to show her age. Bo knew she wouldn't last much longer, though, because Bryce was getting more and more curious and busy the older he got. Mary Dennis was the person who taught her how to love, though, and Bo found herself wanting to hold onto that relationship as long as possible.

"Your mother tells me you've been a good boy this week and that I am allowed to do something special; just you and me." Trick held Bryce on his lap, though the young boy hopped right back off when he was distracted and bored, mostly because he couldn't reach the pens. He had come here with a mission today anyways, so Bo knew this part of the visit would be short.

"I want to play with Maddie, Papa Trick. Mommy said she was still here." He had been so excited in the car on the ride here and couldn't shut up about seeing the other girl. Trick just laughed and nodded as Bryce used his best puppy dog expression. Bo knew just how difficult it was to discipline him, especially when he gave that look. Bo could kill a man with her bare hands, but she couldn't seem to intimidate or discipline a four-year-old.

"Of course. She's in the kitchen with her dads. Why don't you go find them? I'm sure she would love some help decorating those cookies." Trick didn't even have the entire sentence out before Bryce was running out of the door, eager to complete his mission. Bo could only chuckle at his enthusiasm. "Just like his mom. Always running after pretty girls and nothing else seems to matter."

"Well, in his defense, Maddie Lewis is adorable, so he has good taste." Bo chuckled before coming to sit down across from her grandfather.

"That will make three generations of McCorrigans who have become infatuated with the Lewises." Trick laughed again, though Bo only laughed to hide her discomfort. "Your mother's obsession with older men who were off limits never seemed to stop her. Tom was my best friend, and he would have been a fine husband for her, but there was no way I was doing that to him. Besides, we wouldn't have had you. If Tom hadn't told me a few years ago about your school girl crush on Lauren back in high school, I never would have believed it was true. I still have trouble picturing it. And now, your son is equally as fascinated with yet another Lewis progeny. It's funny how things come back full circle."

"Yeah. Funny." Bo bit her lip, not wanting to tell Trick how serious the relationship really was. When he'd told her he found out about it, she was worried how much he knew, but Mr. Lewis had been a true gentleman and not told on them. Bo still didn't know the story of why Mr. Lewis even said anything, since it had happened years after the fact. He would never lie or disobey Trick, so it had to be something Trick said to him that prompted the not-so-reveal. Their secret was still safe, and that made her like Mr. Lewis all the more. As far as Trick knew, the crush was never consummated. Bo felt her cheeks flush at just how much consummation happened, and in this room a few times, too. "Is Lauren staying for a bit longer?"

"She's just accepted the consigliere position." Trick had been teaching Bo how to take control of the family and slowly easing her in to take over. It made dinners catching up with her father more difficult, but she still wasn't sure if she even wanted that much power. It was okay when she was a soldier, when Trick used to call her his "champion," but with her being next in line for the throne, Bo was overwhelmed and was still leery about her son being raised in this environment because she knew once she took power, there would be no more protecting him from this life. It's why they had a plan.

"Dyson won't be too happy about that." Bo rolled her eyes, knowing Mr. Male Ego would probably throw a fit to losing his position as Trick's right hand to somebody who wasn't even in the business. Bo had to admit she was a little skeptical and worried about Lauren taking the position, too, and was equally surprised when Trick announced during their training session last night after dinner that he had offered it to her.

"Dyson was never in line for that position." Trick wasn't an idiot. He didn't keep his power and family's legacy because he was a fool. He knew Dyson wanted it, but he was right. Dyson was a good soldier, but it took more to be a good advisor than just brawn and experience. It took brains and charm, and Lauren was definitely the brainy type. Still, it seemed odd that Trick would offer the position to Lauren and not even consider Chad, which Bo wanted to question. Trick's points were reasonable, though, and Bo didn't really mind if Lauren was around more. She was just honestly worried about what this business would do to Lauren, though it appeared like she had already become cold and distant enough. Bo wanted to believe it was because of the funeral, but as she observed Lauren more yesterday at the funeral, she could tell it was deeper. She wasn't the same naïve and awkward Lauren Lewis that she was back in high school; just like Bo wasn't the mean and wild Bo McCorrigan she was.

"Somebody should've probably told him that." Bo laughed again, not even able to picture Dyson serving as an advisor without chuckling even more. He never really understood that he was only ever good at pretending to be chivalrous and heroic, and Bo felt stupid for playing into his need for that. They were still close friends, but he was the most frustrating man she ever tried to date. At least he finally stopped giving her puppy eyes. That made her life easier; she never asked him to get that serious, but he did it anyways and even tried to force her to marry him once upon a time. Bo was having none of that and dumped him. It wasn't long after that when she found out she was pregnant. At first, she thought it was Dyson's baby, and when she did the math and discovered it wasn't, she actually breathed a sigh of relief. If Bryce was Dyson's, that would have made life so much more difficult. "Avery has Bryce next weekend. I figured you'd want him to stay tonight, since you missed yesterday. How long are Chad and Maddie staying?"

"They're leaving tonight. He has a deposition tomorrow afternoon."

"I'm still not completely convinced Lauren should be consigliere. Wouldn't Chad make the better advisor since he's a lawyer?" Bo didn't want to tell him that this just made it more difficult for her. If she did, then he would know how she actually felt about the other woman. The last thing she needed was Trick finding out about her secret relationship, especially if her ex was now going to technically be her boss for a while; at least until she became her ex's boss. Trick was unknowingly setting this family up to become a massive melodrama.

"Bo, you know just as well as I do that of Tom's children, Lauren will be the best in this position. Plus, she is somebody you can trust, as well, when you take over for me. You grew up together and were friends once. You should start thinking more seriously for when you take power."

"Yeah, but that's not until years down the line. I'm nowhere near ready. I told you I wanted Bryce to at least be a teenager and have him be old enough to understand the business before I became the big boss. I'm just…I'm not ready, and don't you do anything stupid, either. I'm not ready for you to be gone, either. Don't go and piss off my dad just because of some stupid turf war again; I can't handle you getting shot again." Despite having her reservations, Bo really didn't want the family business going to anybody else. She was the next heir, since her mother was goddess knows where with husband number five and was beyond less than fit to run an entire family. "Why does it have to be one of Tom's kids anyways?"

"I want to…"

"'Keep it in the family.' I know." Bo huffed, knowing she really had no place to argue. If Trick wanted Lauren, and if Lauren agreed, then that meant Bo would just have to get over it. Maybe if she went out and got laid, she wouldn't have to worry about noticing how attractive the other woman had become. Maybe she should call Kenzi to skip her Hale date tonight and have her be her wingman like old times. "Will you be okay with Bryce tonight? When does Stella get home?"

"She's getting back from Scotland this weekend, and yes, Bo, I'll be fine. Your father and I have a truce; you know that. He's just as protective of Bryce as I am." Trick chuckled at her concern; he always did. This was their song and dance every time Bryce stayed over here, though Bo didn't want to admit to her grandfather that it was because she was mostly worried about what Bryce would see or overhear while in this place. Trick ran a tight ship, but he couldn't control everything. Not even her father's outbursts. All it would take would be one wrong move from one of their soldiers, and the truce would be broken. Trick couldn't control that, and Bo knew that all too well. She had already lived through that too many times, so she knew too well that peace never lasted. "Go out and have fun tonight. You haven't done that in awhile, and Kenzi should be free since Hale is doing some business for me. Don't go home and fall asleep on the couch like last time."

"You've met Bryce, right? Busy? Always on the move? Never lets me get any sleep? I'm surprised I don't go into comatose mode whenever Avery has him." Bo always spent those weekends, once a month, taking time to catch up on paperwork with the winery and shadowing Trick in his private business meetings. She rarely got a good night's sleep anymore.

"Well, you should still go out tonight and have fun. After this week, I'm only reminded of how short life is. You're still young and need to take advantage of that while you can." Trick looked so sad again, no longer able to hide his grief at losing his best friend. "Bryce will be fine. I look forward to having him, if I can just get his attention away from the ladies for one second."

"You know that isn't all from me, right? He gets that from his father, too." Bo actually still liked Bryce's father. He was easy to get along with, extremely handsome and intelligent, and hilarious. He was also fair when she wanted full custody of their son. Avery was a good man and a good father to Bryce, and Bo was glad he was at least part of their son's life. They both knew what it was like not knowing their father growing up, so they both felt it was important that Avery get one weekend a month just the two of them. "I'm heading out, then. If you need anything, call me immediately."

"Have a good night, Isabeau." Trick rarely called her by her full name anymore. He was the only person who ever did. Even Stella stopped calling her that a few years ago, but that was probably because Bo cursed her to high hell when she was in the delivery room with her. Kenzi wasn't supposed to pass out on her, so Stella had taken up the role because Trick and Avery sure as hell weren't doing it. Her grandfather's girlfriend had actually turned out to be a lovely woman, even if Bo was never completely comfortable around her and still wasn't.

Bo left the compound, desperately wanting to hug Bryce goodbye but not willing to pull him away from playing with Maddie. He looked so happy and innocent, and Bo wanted him to hold onto that just a bit longer. She said hello to Chad and his husband before leaving the compound, knowing full well that her couch, a bottle of wine, Kenzi, and a bad movie were her only dates tonight.


	3. Say Hello to My Little Friend

Chapter Three: Say Hello to My Little Friend

_"The saddest thing in life is wasted talent."_ Lorenzo from _A Bronx Tale_

* * *

Lauren made the arrangements over the phone to have her belongings sent to her from the Congo. There wasn't much, but she did want the few keepsakes she had accumulated over the years from her various patients and travels. Everything else was boxed up in a storage unit here in the city; she figured she could cancel that and bring the contents from that here next week. There wasn't much anyways, since she had managed to sell the majority of her things in anticipation of never returning. It still felt odd knowing she would be staying here, and it was like she was drawing on a blank canvas anyways, so her few customizations wouldn't really make a difference. If she wanted to decorate, she doubted her Yale pennant and various artwork that friends gave to her in college would be much help in getting her to move on with her life. This was starting a new chapter, and while she knew she was a completely different person than the last time she had been in this city, she didn't want there to be any doubt.

She wasn't naïve, lovestruck, and nerdy anymore. Dr. Lauren Lewis was a decorated soldier, a dedicated researcher, and a collected professional. There was no turning back now; she had long ago accepted her new life and did not want this new job to change her too much.

After getting the phone call from Hale that he was on his way, Lauren went to the refrigerator to reheat the two casseroles she had commandeered last night. They wouldn't be overly nutritious, since covering broccoli in cheese, butter, and crackers took the healthy away, but it was food, and she didn't have to cook it or order from anywhere. As soon as she landed, she realized she was craving a large order of poutine but realized just how long she had been gone when she passed by her favorite place to find it had turned into a dry cleaner's. It wasn't a great way to start her visit, though it fit her mood considering the reason she was here at all. Her father had just died of a heart attack, so it felt ironic that she craved something that was practically a heart attack on a plate. Even being reminded of her father's condition when she cleaned out the medicine from his shelf last night when she couldn't sleep, Lauren was still craving poutine. Maybe it was her need to find comfort food; maybe it was her need to prove her own youthfulness and health that she could still eat those things.

It had been so long since she had cooked, too. She used to love doing that; helping her grandmother and mother in the kitchen on Sundays and holidays, even though she couldn't reach the counter and had to use a stool. She became creative out in the field, but the meals she had been eating for the past seven years were mostly field rations or whatever they would catch or harvest. When she pulled the plastic wrap from the casserole dishes and could smell the broccoli casserole and the baked macaroni and cheese, Lauren actually had to admit she was looking forward to it. It wasn't poutine and a veggie meatball wrap from Angelo's, but it would do just fine. After all, she had time now to find new places to eat, though she had to figure out the financial part of her living situation before she could venture outside the compound for food. Trick would no doubt be feeding her for a while until funds were cleared and she was settled. Lauren hated the idea of needing Trick for anything, and she actually toyed with finding a hunting knife and just going out into the woods to catch her own dinner. It would be one way to marry the past few years to the future she was accepting. Something just felt too different about hunting here. It seemed kind of wrong to go out and kill a creature when it wasn't absolutely necessary for survival. Lauren was glad that the field hadn't hardened her too much.

The doorbell startled her, and she realized she was actually hungry now. She had been staring out the windows again and was lost in her musings; she forgot things like doorbells existed. She was used to people announcing their presence outside her tent or just barging in with emergencies. Lauren Lewis was experiencing culture shock, and she briefly wondered if her stomach would actually be able to settle with tonight's food. She hadn't fared so well last night and had spent a good amount of time in the bathroom, happy her father at least stocked and used antacids and Immodium. His heart may have failed him, but at least his digestive system was okay. It had even been a long time since she'd used such basic medicine, so she could truly appreciate the wonders of something so simple. Her lack of any real sleep last night wasn't just because of the cold and silence of this house, though she wasn't ready to admit exactly why. That would mean she would have to respond to how fast everything was changing around her. That would mean she would actually have to cry and mourn her father's passing. That would mean she would actually have to actually accept what she was about to become. No, she was definitely not ready for that.

She went to find Hale standing at the doorstep, two boxes piled in his arms. Lauren grabbed the top box and ushered him inside, not hiding her smile at seeing her old friend. Other than her nephew yesterday, she hadn't felt the calmness and happiness at seeing anybody else. Hale looked older, and he was dressed in a tailored suit, which meant he was more than just a soldier for Trick now. It would be kind of hard to patrol the streets wearing such nice and obviously expensive clothes.

"What's up, Doc?" Hale moved to lay the box on the dining table, where she had finally cleaned up from organizing her father's documents and boxes earlier. There weren't many, and the majority of them were work files, which were already filed and organized because her father was just as OCD as she was. It was another thing she inherited from him, along with the dimple in her chin. "I'm sorry I didn't come see you yesterday at the funeral. I was managing the security detail. Funerals are always easy targets, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay. I didn't trust anybody else to do it."

"I guess that makes sense." Lauren cleared her throat and heard the oven ding. It startled her again, and she was embarrassed because Hale saw her flinch. They were close enough once that she would allow him to tease her about it, but seeing his expression, she knew he wouldn't. "I'm glad you're here now, though. It's, um, good to see you."

"It's been too long, Lauren." Hale was also the only person she would let get away with just pulling her into a hug without preamble. She actually was shocked at first from the basic human contact, but she relaxed when she smelled the familiar cologne. At least some things hadn't changed, even if they were overkill on the sandalwood and way too strong. Then again, she preferred more feminine scents, so she couldn't really complain. He did smell nice, and he never had trouble with women, so her dislike must have been a personal preference thing. She wrapped her arms around him, and they stood there in a friendly embrace. If she were the crying type, if she weren't so closed off and trying to keep it together, she would have allowed herself to break down with him, but they both knew she wouldn't. The hug ended after one final squeeze. When it ended, she realized just how much she needed it. "You cooking for me? Just like old times. Tell me you baked cupcakes."

"No. Just whatever some of the ladies left. Broccoli cheese casserole and mac and cheese, from what I could tell. If I'm not right, you'll have to forgive me considering I've not been around an actual casserole or baked food in a long time. It's not much, but it's all I can do right now. I wasn't exactly planning for company until Trick mentioned it earlier. I'm sorry; I should've called." Lauren pulled out a stool from the island counter and motioned for Hale to sit down as she moved into the kitchen area to pull out a bottle of wine from the wine refrigerator embedded in her father's wall. She thought it was another wall oven or some new kitchen technology, but her dad had just utilized the space and didn't skip on his favorite thing: the McCorrigan winery reds. She wondered if they still made ice wine and Riesling because that would be another item on her list of things to get again now that she was back. This would actually be the first time Lauren actually drank the McCorrigan wine while of legal age, since she and Hale (and later Bo) used to sneak it when her father wasn't home. "Maybe once I'm settled, I'll bake you something."

"You're going to spoil me. I can already tell." Hale accepted the glass of wine she handed him, but he played with the glass instead of drinking it. Lauren didn't even bother with wine etiquette and went right into taking a big gulp. "I know you hate the mushy stuff, but I'm going to say it anyways because it's polite: I'm sorry about your father."

"Me, too." It was the first time she'd said that out loud, and it caused her to chuckle lightly under her breath because it actually felt good to say. "Thanks."

"I'm also glad you're back for good." He did sip his wine, though it was a girly sip, which really did make Lauren chuckle. "I've missed you, and I'm comfortable enough in my manhood to admit that."

"Yes, you are super macho." Lauren smirked before taking another sip, loving how the oakiness of the Cabernet was coating her throat and warming her entire body. She could even feel that her cheeks flushed and had to remind herself that she would be a lightweight because it was very rare the past seven years that she had been around alcohol. At first, after Nadia, she was worried that drinking would lead to an excessive habit, considering she already had an addictive personality. She was addicted to work, she was addicted to helping people, and she was once addicted to Bo. Lauren cleared her throat because she didn't want her thoughts to go there again; she had too many other things on her plate right now to worry about her ex. It was just hard not to think about her in this place, especially since Lauren hadn't seen her yet. "Thanks."

"You keep telling me thanks, I'm going to start believing you have emotions." Hale smirked at her and she sat down on the stool next to him and swatted his arm. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Lauren remembered she had food in the oven. She went to remove the dishes, glad it wasn't burned, before she placed them on the counter and started opening cabinets and drawers until she found utensils and plates. They started to eat before bothering with any conversation. "You know, your dad could've made this place at least a little more colorful. I know he watched hockey games like they were his religion. He could've put a Leafs banner or something up to show the love."

"You know my dad was never the sentimental type. It's why he built this place, I'm pretty sure; just so he wouldn't have to constantly be reminded of mom anymore in the old house." Lauren had to admit cheese was amazing; she had never been much of a cheese person, and Mrs. Thornwood's cooking used to be subpar so Lauren was probably overcompensating her enjoyment of the food. Still, there was something about processed cheese that really hit the spot. Maybe it was the comfort element. Maybe it was remembering her mother cooking these things for them when she was a kid. "Did you know he sold the old house? He could have rented that one like he does some of the other houses he owned."

"Wow. You really have been shut off too long." Hale looked worried about this fact more than he looked startled. He loosened his grip on his fork and furrowed his brow. "It's your mom, Lauren. That house was your mom's. He never changed a thing in all those years after she died. Once Karen moved out, there was nothing left but him and those memories. It had to eat at him, and you know he didn't like his emotions to control him. Imagine living in a place where you're constantly reminded that you lost the love of your life."

"I guess I understand that." Lauren did, but she was her father's daughter and always dealt with business without emotional attachment. Only one person ever made Lauren act like a lovesick idiot and made her lose any and all logic, but again, she didn't want to go there. She was good with avoiding the Bo issue for a little bit longer. "I'm sorry I didn't call or let you know where I was."

"I get it. No hard feelings. You're back now; that's all that matters." Despite his new appearance, Hale had still obviously never learned table manners. He was smoother and more mature, but he still ate like that seventeen-year-old boy Lauren used to know. "It's not like we didn't know where you were. We just respected your wishes and left you alone. Family sticks together, even when one of them is being stubborn and trying to run away."

"My girlfriend was shot and killed because of some stupid need for vengeance on something that turned out to be a misunderstanding. That's how this business works, isn't it? We just had the unfortunate lot of being born into this world without a choice; without any freedom. So, no, I don't really see it as me running away so much as me trying to escape a life of servitude." Lauren had long ago grieved Nadia's death. She had done the casual rebound thing; she had mourned appropriately. It no longer hurt and had somehow just turned into another unfortunate experience. She had loved Nadia, but Lauren felt guilty that she had panicked and had been more emotional when Bo had broken her collarbone during a fight Hale told her about, and that was years after they'd been apart. Lauren may have avoided Bo while she was away at college, but that didn't mean she stopped caring. She definitely wasn't ready to admit or allow herself to admit that she still cared now. Her life had always been surrounded by violence, whether she was unaware of it or it snuck up on her without warning. Instead of letting it control her, she had just signed up to take control of how she lets that violence into her life. "How do you do this? How do you live this life?"

"The family isn't bad, Lauren. Sure, killing happens sometimes, but it's only ever out of necessity for the business. You know that. Trick is a good man; he just has to do bad things sometimes to make sure everyone is safe from the bad guys." Hale wasn't even embarrassed at taking seconds onto his plate. Lauren looked at him and wasn't surprised he was no doubt still physically fit. She looked at her overly slender yet muscular body, from years of physical labor in the Congo, and she wondered if he still went running around the compound's trails every morning like they used to do back in high school and whenever she would visit from college and med school.

"That makes us the bad guys, too, though. To the other families, we're the bad guys. To normal society, we're the bad guys." Lauren took a long sip at her wine before locking her eyes on his.

"Define normal." Hale smirked at her. He had no doubt done a lot of the dirty work for Trick in the past, and he had probably killed more than a few people when he was a soldier. At least she never had to kill anyone for the family, though she did have to kill to protect a few times in Afghanistan and once during a particularly brutal camp raid in the eastern part of the Congo. The killings were different; the wars were different, even if Lauren wanted to get overly political and make parallels. It was too late in the evening for that, though. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Define sure." Lauren smirked back at him. Ever since her call to Trick, ever since she accepted the position, she had gone back and forth in her head about all of the reasons this was a bad idea, but she never once considered taking it back. Even knowing what the family was, she never really ever wanted out; she just wanted away. Now, she wanted a bit of control. "If Trick has faith in me, then I'm sure he has his reasons."

"You've got brains, Doc. Most of the people around here don't have that. They're the muscle. Hell, even I can admit I'm the muscle; I just have a lot of heart to go along with it. It's what makes me so popular with the ladies." He pushed his plate away from him and held his stomach. Lauren couldn't help picturing Hale out on a date, trying to impress a girl and failing miserably once he started eating. It was almost overly comical, and she loved that about him.

"You're still breaking hearts? I figured you would have at least two ex wives by now." Lauren smiled at him, knowing he would get the joke. They used to play a game where they pretended they were older and imagined what they would be like. Lauren always went to college and started a career. Hale always ended up with some celebrity starlet. During the Bo years, Lauren's dreams had shifted a little, but they always had college and career first, even if her hormones would add busty brunettes into the picture. Hale was the only person in the family, besides her father, who knew about her and Bo, and that was because he caught them once, too. It was the first time Bo had been super bitchy to her and broke up with her, even if they weren't technically dating at the time. It didn't take long for Bo to start begging for forgiveness, though, and it didn't take much for Lauren to take her back.

"Nah. I got a girl, though. You'll like her. She's a real…actually, I take that back. You two will not get along at all." Hale's eyes widened, and Lauren had a feeling she would understand his sudden nervousness once she met the girl. "We've been together for two years, talking marriage; that whole thing. Believe it or not, she's the one who can't make up her damn mind."

"Wow. Haley Santiago domesticated? This, I would pay to see."

"Well, better stick around for the main event. If she said yes while you were still overseas, I was going to fly over myself and drag your ass back here to be my best man. Thanks for saving me the trip, though you should still prepare yourself for best man duties."

"What about Dyson?" Lauren looked over, surprised that nobody had mentioned the other man once since she'd been back. He was the golden boy for as long as she could remember growing up, and he was always doted on within the family, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Part of her wondered why Trick didn't pick him as consigliere, since it was obvious how they were standing at the funeral and never parted that the two were extremely close.

"Dyson's my boy. You know that, but you'll always be my best man." He arched his eyebrow and gave her this pointed look that said there was no room for argument. Lauren had never disliked Dyson, but they had also never gotten along. They had no reason to, really. It was hard being in this twisted triangle within the family. If people weren't Team Dyson, they were Team Lauren. Somehow, Hale always got pulled in the middle and was forced to play peacemaker whenever the two were in a room together. Other than his obvious alpha male ego and superiority complex, Lauren never had any qualms or reason to not like Dyson. She imagined he probably wouldn't be too happy about her being his boss now, though. "You've always been the real talent. Trick always kept tabs on you because he's always known you would be good for business. He's always wanted you in the fray. The Elders may have been backing Dyson all of these years, but I always suspected it would be you in the end. You're the endgame, and I think everybody is about to see why."

"How is everyone else?" Lauren watched his smile grow into this knowing smirk before he grabbed his wine glass.

"Bo is good."

"I wasn't asking about Bo. Did I say anything about Bo?" She averted her eyes, like she had no choice in how she reacted. Her body betrayed her immediately, which only made her dread their eventual meeting all the more. So much for not thinking about her tonight.

"You just did. Plus, your blush is giving you away." Hale laughed his hearty, deep chuckle, which made her roll her eyes. "Really, Doc? It's been over ten years, and she still gets you all flustered like that? Girl's either still got game or has some magical vagina. Knowing Bo, I'd believe both. Still, the fact that she still gets to you, of all people, after all of these years?"

"It's not like we left on the best of terms." Lauren cleared her throat and decided to use the red wine as her excuse for flushing like that. She refused to believe she still had any residual feelings for the woman.

"Well, Bo's changed a lot, but I'm going to let you figure that out yourself. You're too stubborn to listen to me anyways." Hale took a deep breath before standing, and Lauren was instantly heartbroken and allowed herself to be; she knew this meant he was leaving her for the night. Suddenly, the idea of being alone in this blank house didn't sound so appealing. "Thanks for dinner. It really is good to have you back. I just have a few more errands before bedtime. Figure I'll try to see my girl, Kenzi, before the night is over."

"Thanks for the files. I'll be seeing more of you from now on, I suppose." Lauren followed him to the door and stood leaning against the frame, realizing how much the alcohol and lack of any real protein or electrolytes had affected her. "Say, Hale?" She called before he was too far from the porch. He turned around, staring at the sky, which had finally given up on the rain for a moment, which was probably why he was leaving now. "If you still run the trails, would you mind some company?"

"Same bat time; same bat channel." He nodded at her again, and Lauren was glad to find at least some things never changed. As she settled in and cleaned up for the night, she was happy to find her stomach settled, though the wine made her head swim a bit, so once she was done, she actually found her way to the bedroom and only mildly had trouble getting to sleep.

* * *

Bo hadn't meant to sleep in this morning, but that bottle of wine had finally relaxed her enough that she got some actual sleep for the first time in weeks. Well, wine and certain toys she only brought out on special occasions. She would definitely need to buy more batteries because it didn't look like she was going out to pick up a date any time soon. It wasn't that she thought she would have a hard time finding a sexual partner for a quick tryst; it was more like she had learned to control her hormones and urges and no longer really craved that constant contact. She was more after substance now, so she told herself she was being picky for a reason.

Of course, Kenzi scolded her and tried to encourage her to go out, but Bo knew that wasn't her anymore. It was like she had gone through some sort of trials or tests when she was pregnant with Bryce, and when he was born, it was like she was reborn right along with him. It didn't happen right away; it was more like a month after everything had settled and they were snuggling on the couch with him gripping her hand so tightly and staring up at her with a big, sleepy grin. Bo somehow knew she was different in that moment. It also dawned on her how much she liked this part of herself, knowing she was always there below the surface but that she finally had the courage and strength and maturity to be herself.

After getting dressed, Bo was in no hurry to get to the compound, even if she did miss her little man already. Once she got there, she took her time getting out of the car. She walked the halls of the compound, knowing Trick would surely be finished with his lunch with Lauren. Bo would've come during lunch, but she wanted to both avoid running into Lauren and still get the rundown on how Bryce behaved from a grown-up perspective. Asking her son how things went was never productive; he was already way too good at hiding the whole truth. He was definitely her kid, and he had definitely spent too much time with this family.

Bo peeked into Trick's study and noticed the wrong person was still there. Seeing Lauren sitting there, concentrating on a stack of papers as she twirled a pen in between her fingers, Bo remembered exactly why she had been attracted to this woman when they were teenagers. Now, she had definitely matured into her looks, and Bo felt her breath leave her for a moment. She would have felt bad for staring, but she knew that when they made actual contact, things would change. Bo feared Lauren was still holding a grudge from their last few meetings, and she wasn't exactly sure how to apologize without giving away her feelings and completely scaring the woman. They were supposed to work closely together for the rest of their lives. Being a creeper at the beginning wouldn't be a good place to restart.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Bo knocked lightly on Trick's office door to let the woman know she was there. Lauren looked up, startled from her work, but her composure immediately came back. If Bo hadn't been paying such close attention to every little detail about Lauren, she wouldn't have noticed the tiny flicker. This Lauren was colder and definitely more collected.

"Hi. Trick's door was open. Sorry to bother you." Bo cleared her throat. When they were kids, she had been overly aggressive. Bo had been the one to pursue Lauren, though her original intentions had not been noble. Bo could admit she always thought Lauren was cute, but they were different, and her friends thought it would be funny if she made fun of Lauren. Bo may have been aggressive and started off wrongly, but she made Lauren initiate most of the intimate parts first. She didn't want to admit she was just as scared of hurting Lauren, even knowing that's exactly what she was doing during their entire relationship. Bo had never been nervous around anybody before; she had never been afraid to just take what she wanted. Lauren was always different, though, which is why Bo had fallen for her before she even managed to even try to seriously make fun of her. Lauren didn't know why Bo started pursuing her, and regardless of the reasons, Bo was happy that she actually did and that Lauren never found out, even if she was smart and probably suspected. However, it was definitely more complicated this time around. Not that Bo believed there would be another go around, even if her intentions would be entirely pure from the start this time. "I'm sorry about your father. I would've said something yesterday at the funeral, but I thought you might not want me there and wanted to respect him and you."

"Thanks." Lauren didn't show any emotional response, but Bo followed her every movement and could see the slight twitch of her fingers. Knowing she could get some response, even if it was minor and not meant to be noticed, Bo smirked slightly and felt her courage return. She smirked slightly and tried not to be an asshole about her tiny victory over this more difficult version of Lauren Lewis. She was a hard shell to crack before; it was part of her appeal, Bo could admit: the challenge. The word "impossible" was not in Bo's dictionary, but looking at Lauren now, she had a feeling she needed to add it.

"I hear you're back for good?" Bo never made any movement to walk into the room. Lauren was easy to read right now, and it was obvious she wasn't too happy about this meeting finally happening. "Might as well rip the bandage off, right? I mean, we're bound to run into each other a lot, so we might as well, you know?" Bo just watched Lauren's eyes, remembering how expressive they always were. She wasn't sure what she wanted to see in them, but she knew whatever it was wasn't there. One of Bo's favorite things about Lauren was how passionate she was about things, but all Bo saw now was an overly detached and frigid person whose fire long ago died out. She cleared her throat, wishing the silence that surrounded them wasn't so obvious. "It's been a long time. You look good."

"Thanks." Lauren cleared her throat, though Bo noticed the slight smirk and arch of her eyebrow.

"I probably owe you millions of apologies, but I'm not sure you'd really want to hear them right now, so I'll leave you to your work." Bo didn't know why she felt like she needed to add this meeting to her apology list, too. "I'll, um…it was good to see you."

Bo turned around to leave and steeled herself not to be disappointed. She didn't expect their first meeting to be so one-sided. She half expected Lauren to yell at her. She even expected Lauren to ignore her completely. A small part of her imagined Lauren would just run into her arms and they would live happily ever after, though she knew that was the least likely scenario. This monosyllabic yet mildly attentive version of Lauren was much worse than anything she could have pictured.

"Bo?" Lauren called after her, which caused her to turn to see the other woman again. "It was good to see you, too."

Bo just nodded before turning around so Lauren couldn't see the big smile that was slowly making its way across her face. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she did feel her confidence return to her. This new version of Lauren may be cold and distant, but it's not like Bo hadn't broke through those barriers once before. The memories of exactly how passionate Lauren was only fueled Bo even more, especially since this older version of Lauren was repressing a lot more and would definitely have more experience. The familiar stirrings inside Bo surfaced again, and she knew without doubt that she would need to buy batteries soon if she expected to get through this without just jumping Lauren in the compound's hallways. That would definitely not be a good way to make up, even if it was extremely appealing on a purely sexual level. No, Lauren was too important, and Bo was glad she was mature enough and wise enough now to truly appreciate just how important she was.


	4. And So It Begins

Chapter Four: And So It Begins

_"You need more than guts to be a good gangster. You need ideas." _Rocket from_ City of God_

* * *

Trick had managed to set her up a small office space downtown in the McCorrigan territories within two weeks, and Lauren was impressed with the private practice. It was definitely state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and the store room had more in there than she had probably seen during her entire matriculation in the Congo. Having spent the last couple of weeks working out of her father's sterilized decorative home, catching up on paperwork and insuring her licenses were still valid back home, Lauren wanted to decorate her office with copious amounts of artwork and decorative items, even if she still had yet to do the same to the house. She even had a living wall installed, since the greenery reminded her a little of her time in the rainforest. This place was definitely better with the pictures, though she did make the executive decision to hang the nude women in her home instead of her professional office. That was just a personal preference thing. That and the picture of her and her mom were the only things she had put in there so far, though.

She had been running with Hale in the mornings and had met him for drinks a few times at one of the local bars on their turf called the Dal. He always ducked out before 9:30pm, though, saying he needed to get home to his family. From the little bit she had gathered, Lauren discovered Hale lived with Kenzi and there was apparently a little boy named Bryce involved somehow. Hale seemed proud of the young boy and even showed her a picture he kept in his wallet. Lauren had no real point of reference with her own father, but she imagined that was what a proud father would look like.

She loved that Hale had become a father and a family man, and she hoped Kenzi would accept his proposal soon. From his stories about her, Kenzi seemed like quite the dynamic personality, and Lauren could understand why she was apparently Bo's best friend; a fact Hale was too happy to mention, obviously to see how Lauren would react to hearing Bo's name again. She was proud for not feeling anything more than lingering memories at the moment.

Still, Lauren was skeptical about Kenzi so far, moreso because it sounded like she was stringing Hale along. He was definitely one of the good ones. She didn't want to pry or ask too many questions, though, so mostly, they talked about business and kept reminiscing about the crazy things they would do as kids, and he was helping her get caught up with the family drama. Lauren never liked to gossip; Hale was enough of a gossip for the both of them. Still, it was good to know a little history about the people she saw in those meetings, even if he was careful to not tell too much about Bo stuff after he didn't get much of a reaction the first twenty times he tried to talk about Bo with her the past few weeks. She was tired of being the girl Bo dated, and Lauren found she actually wanted to do a good job and make her own name and reputation within the family.

Tomorrow, she would start accepting patients, and she wasn't actually surprised to find her schedule for the first month filled up fast. She wasn't sure if it was because Trick ordered people to see her, or if the city was that much in need of a doctor. Lauren had a feeling it was the former, considering she hadn't exactly been in modern practice in quite some time. However, he did allow her to hire a staff so she could continue some of her research she started in the Congo. That was definitely a perk to being a made woman: she'd never run out of resources or patients. She had yet to witness or experience the cost, but she knew it was coming soon.

At least Bo wasn't one of the patients, so she breathed a sigh of relief there. Since that first meeting, Lauren caught glimpses of Bo everywhere, though they never made direct contact. They didn't really need to yet, though Lauren knew the day would come soon. It was kind of odd and the complete opposite of what she expected from the other woman, actually. She expected Bo to be aggressive and forward like she was back in school. Lauren could tell from the few times they'd met that Bo was still attracted to her; she never was good at hiding her emotions, even to someone like Lauren, who was horrible at reading people's attraction to her. Bo was just always easy to read, and that hadn't changed. It was why she felt Bo always overcompensated with her meanness when they were in public. She was a scared little girl, who was scared of her grandfather. Who could blame her really? Nobody knew what happened to that boy Bo dated before her. It's one reason Lauren didn't argue at first when Bo mentioned keeping them a secret; she didn't want to end up swimming with the fishes, if that was the case. Trick was scary then, but he was scarier now. It's why she refused and denied her residual attraction to the woman now. Still, Lauren knew the day would come soon when she and Bo would have to interact regularly, and it was odd because she never had trouble coming for Bo before. This time was different, though. This time, Lauren had the power and control. She knew that, and she actually liked the feeling.

There was a message on her phone to come to the front door, since whoever it was had apparently been knocking for some time. She didn't recognize the number, so she was extra cautious as she carefully snaked her way down the dark hallway, past the store room, the four patient rooms, and the nurse station. When she got to the front desk, she peeked around the corner and noticed a familiar face. It was familiar, but it wasn't exactly welcome at the moment. She walked to the front and opened the heavy, bulletproof glass door for him, wondering why he didn't call first.

"Dyson." She held the door open for him, and he swept right past her like this was his place and not hers. His cockiness and alpha attitude had definitely not changed. If anything, it only increased exponentially since he'd taken his place by Trick's side. While they hadn't said much of anything to each other in the meetings or in the compound's halls, they had acknowledged each other's presence with simple nods or glances. Lauren was never surprised when he scowled and growled along with those nods and glances.

"Lauren." He lifted his head slightly and seemed to sniff the air, which was strangely intimidating. Lauren had to admit he was a good soldier and was good at his job, but he obviously had more aspirations and wasn't too happy about giving up his chance to become Trick's main advisor. "I needed to send your detail outside to do something for Trick."

"Of course. I'm fine here." Lauren knew what Dyson wasn't telling her, even if he thought it was some power play to keep her in the dark about the more violent aspects of the business. Her father used to repeat the mantra "Knowledge is power," and Lauren took that to heart. Dyson knew her well enough to know keeping things from her would strike the hardest blows. She wasn't surprised they were still not the best of friends, though she did have to admit they were more civil now than when they would come to the random passive aggressive blows as teenagers. She knew Dyson would learn to submit like a good puppy eventually. For now, she let him have his ego. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Despite my objections of this whole thing, we still take care of our own." Dyson wasn't a bad man. Hale was always the first to tell her that, but Lauren hadn't seen it in action that often. She'd only ever seen the slight, unspoken rivalry they had.

"I still have work to do. Is there anything else?" Lauren may have been almost an entire foot shorter than him, but she knew how to use her posture. Just because she was small didn't mean she didn't know how to use it. He was towering and leaning over her in a pose meant to intimidate and threaten. She wasn't sure what he hoped to accomplish with it, but it definitely wasn't working.

"You're going to be our weakest link, and you can't hide behind these doors forever." Dyson narrowed his eyes and seemed to steel his jaw. His features softened a bit, as though he was equal parts concerned and angry.

"I appreciate the concern, Dyson, but I'm stronger than I look." Lauren had more self defense and battle training than any of the soldiers here in the city. They weren't trained in anything except how to shoot a gun and protect the family, from what she had heard. Lauren was miles ahead of them in that department, which is one thing she mentioned to Trick; that he should give more defensive training. When she'd looked at the casualty list from the past few years, she was actually shocked at how many had died or been severely wounded. Most of them, she wasn't surprised to find, were because of overeager soldiers. It was one thing to be able to shoot a target with accuracy; it was another to know when to actually shoot.

"I've killed more men with my bare hands than any other soldier here." Dyson did have an impressive list, but he was also one of the biggest offenders of the "shoot first; ask questions later" approach. Hale defended him, saying that he did get the job done. Lauren didn't argue that, but there was still a difference between getting the job done and getting it done right. "How many have you killed?"

"Killed? Exactly three that I can count, and all were absolutely necessary for survival." Lauren took a deep breath and smirked. "The number of people who have died because my bare hands weren't enough to save them? That's a number that far exceeds yours. You don't need to tell me about killing a man with your bare hands. Tell me how many you've saved. Then, I'll be impressed."

"Why would we save anyone? That just leaves more people for retaliation." Dyson wasn't wrong, but that didn't make him right. Lauren still had a lot to learn about this business.

"If you do the job without resorting to violence immediately as your go-to, then there's no need for retaliation at all. The other families? They live by the code, too. 'An eye for an eye.' The thing is, if we don't take an eye to begin with; if we go in and do the job with both eyes open, then we don't risk losing sight of the big picture. We don't risk losing our own people because somebody decided to go in half-cocked and tried to impress the big boss. Something nobody else seems to understand about Trick is that he's not a man of violence, but he's not afraid to spill blood when it's necessary."

"Like I said, you're the weakest link." Dyson walked back to the exit and stood in the doorway, his knuckles turning white from his intense grip on the oversized door. He turned around and steeled his jaw tighter before addressing her. "You may be smart, and you may have military training, but you have no idea how to run the streets. You've never been out there. You'll never know what it's like, so you're going to get us all killed."

"I've come across men and women who were more brutal and dangerous than anybody could ever be here."

"It's still not the same."

"I think you'd be surprised." Lauren took a deep breath before arching an eyebrow to see if he would challenge her further. Instead, he turned around and left, not bothering to make sure she was locked safely back in her office. Eventually, he would understand that he could push her as much as he wanted, but she was still the one with the power. Last week, when she had seen a shopkeeper sent to be tortured by Trick's indirect order, she realized exactly what she was getting herself into. She tried to tell herself that she was there to do good, but that night, as she tried to sleep, as she kept seeing the ultimate fear in that shopkeeper's eyes before he left Trick's office, Lauren knew she had to accept that this job was going to change her. The power was going to change her; she acknowledged that. She also feared it, but Lauren was always one to tackle her fears head on.

* * *

After the week she had been having, Bo was ready to unwind for the weekend. Avery had Bryce for their monthly father/son visit, and Bo was glad he asked to move their weekend up this month. Without knowing it, Bo became extra stressed. Her eye seemed to twitch nonstop, and it wasn't the massive amount of paperwork she had at the winery. It wasn't even Kenzi's constant complaining about Hale's weekly proposal. Bo really wished her best friend would just say yes already and put them all out of their miseries listening to her excuses on why she hasn't yet. Bo knew Kenzi wanted to marry Hale, but the young woman was still holding onto her past too much. She had made a full circle back to the "marriage is a death trap" logic, so Bo hoped this meant she had run out of excuses and would give up the fight. Hale was a good man; a patient man. Bo couldn't help but think he was a bit of a saint for waiting this long.

Hale was so good with Bryce, too. He was the makeshift father figure since Avery wasn't around much. It was Hale who had taught Bryce how to throw a baseball, and Bryce kept a picture of Hale on his bedside stand from one of his teeball games this past summer. Avery didn't seem to mind, either, despite the family rivalries. "As long as it's not Dyson" was Avery's only comment on finding out Hale was a major part in his son's life. If Kenzi hadn't seen him and fallen madly in love, Bo couldn't be positive she wouldn't have snagged Hale for herself.

Still, her stress levels increasing weren't helping her relax during this weekend away from her rambunctious son. She knew the reason, but the other day, she had decided to start ignoring Lauren. Honestly, Bo was hoping these residual feelings would go away if she just ignored them. It was just challenging not taking advantage with Lauren looking so yummy and professional during the few times they had run into each other at the compound. The hard part is that Bo knew what she was missing; she knew despite that extra cold exterior that Lauren was an extremely passionate creature. Bo used to love being the one bringing that side out in her and couldn't help but want to crack that hard shell again. And again. And again.

Lauren ignoring her or barely acknowledging her presence made matters worse. Bo was always one for a challenge; she loved the hunt. That was her favorite part of her party days; it was never about getting laid and everything about the game to get there. Even if she had grown out of that party girl phase, Bo still loved a good challenge.

"Isabeau, are you listening to me?" Her father had invited her out to lunch. While Bryce was with his father, Bo decided to accept and spend some time with her own father. They rarely got to see each other, but her father and Trick had an arrangement where Bo could cross into enemy territory for family purposes. "I asked how your job was going."

"You ask me that every time. You know I can't answer that." Bo smirked a bit, rolling her eyes in amusement at her father's persistent attempts. She should be angry at him for even trying and testing her loyalty and intelligence, but she had long ago accepted he was a business man first before he was a father. He was trying; ever since they met each other and Bo stopped acting out, they both had made an effort to have a relationship. It wasn't the most solid father-daughter relationship, but it was what they had and they were both okay with it. Actually, meeting him and finally knowing was another reason she encouraged Avery to be a part of Bryce's life.

"Your guard was down. You know I have to try." He smirked back at her, and every time he did, she could see her own smug smile looking back at her. She had always wondered where she got some of her features and personality traits; once they met, she had no doubt he was her father. "Well, then how about you tell me how Bryce is. Avery took him to a Maple Leafs game, I hear, so I'm assuming he has him this weekend?"

"Yes. He mentioned wanting to get Bryce interested in hockey, and I saw nothing wrong with that when he called because you offered up your box seats." Bo took a deep breath and smiled warmly as she released it. She didn't mean for it to sound so dramatic, but she couldn't exactly hide it now. "Which you've never offered me, by the way." Her father wasn't even trying to hide his ulterior motives, so why bother hiding hers? The waitress chose that time to refill their lemon waters, which did help to calm Bo's frustration. She had since learned a bit about patience. Having a kid definitely taught her to think things through before just acting immediately out of desire. She learned to share her life with someone; she learned what she had been doing wrong all of these years. Once the waitress was gone, taking their empty lunch plates with her, Bo decided to just focus on the fact that her father did genuinely care for his grandson. "Thank you. It was nice of you to do that."

"That boy deserves to know his father more. If I had known you were my daughter, I could have spent more time with you. Used those box seats myself." He took a deep sip from his water, crossing his legs as he moved his body more from the table. "Avery is a good soldier, and he always comes back refreshed and driven after he spends weekends with his son."

"Ah. Something big is this week then." Bo wasn't surprised. Her father was currently at war with Evony Marquette, so he was probably planning a big heist or hit. Avery was one of his better soldiers; he was right about that, which meant he would want him to step up his game to take down the Morrigan's army. More like minions, actually. Each family was different, but Evony's was definitely the most devious. Bo was glad the McCorrigan clan was off their radar for the time being, though she was still worried about Avery and her father. It was selfish, but she didn't want Bryce to lose his father so young because she wasn't so sure she would know how to explain that to a child. It's probably one reason nobody ever told her who her own father was until she was an adult. "Should I be worried Bryce will not have a father after this week?"

"Avery has never let me down before; I don't expect him to start now. That's all I will say." He took another calculated drink from his glass, and Bo could tell exactly what he was doing. He was casually browsing the room to see who was there. It was a tactic Trick had taught her early; they always had to watch their backs, which is why Trick and her father always requested – and would wait hours, if needed; not that they ever had to – to get a seat where their back was against a wall. They wanted to see the possible threats and observe the room.

"Of course." Bo picked up her water, feeling the condensation saturate her palms as she gripped the glass between both of her hands.

"And how's your love life?" When Bo found out she was pregnant, she was surprised her father immediately tried to force Avery to marry her. However, neither of them were interested in anything more than the casual sex they had. While Avery was a good man - her father was right about that - he wasn't the right person for her. At the time, Bo wasn't ready to admit that having a baby would change her life completely. Actually, it wasn't until Bryce was a few months old until she finally accepted that she did want more to life than partying and sexing it up with random strangers. That was the first time she realized what she had really missed out on since Lauren. For some reason, she had really tried with Lauren. She had wanted it to work, despite her uncontrollable wild urges and despite her original intentions. She didn't appreciate the girl when she had her, and that made her want her even more now that they were older and both available and that Lauren was seemingly off limits. That was one thing Bo immediately looked into when Lauren officially moved back; she knew the other woman hadn't dated anyone seriously since Nadia was killed. Hale had let that little tidbit slip. Even though she hadn't directly asked for it, he still knew her well enough to know what she was really asking. Kenzi was starting to act curious at their subtle conversations, too, so Bo knew she would have to tell her best friend the truth about her ex soon. "Ah, you're blushing. That means there is someone. I don't think I've ever seen you blush, Isabeau. It's actually refreshing, though it makes me even more curious to know who could induce such a reaction in you."

"An ex recently came back into my life, and I'm having conflicted feelings for her now that she's back. She was my first and only real love and things were never really resolved. It's complicated. That's all I will say." She smirked, throwing his own words back at him. For some reason, she never felt comfortable talking about this with her father, even though he asked about her love life every time they met. It was strange to have something to actually report this time, though. She should've been prepared for the question, but actually voicing her feelings for Lauren out loud made them that much more real, so she was thrown off guard for the second time today. She hadn't even told Kenzi about Lauren yet, though she suspected Hale probably had filled her in on the situation. Then again, if he had, Kenzi would have been playing twenty questions with her right now and pulled out all of the juicy details. All Kenzi knew, as far as Bo had told her, was that she and Lauren dated in secret in high school. She didn't know just how serious it was.

"That's more than you usually say, though, so fair enough." He took a deep breath as the waitress came by to inform him the bill was taken care of by another patron. Her father nodded his head in appreciation at the man who paid for their lunch. It never used to bother Bo how much being the head of a crime family meant they got free stuff all of the time; at least it didn't when she was partying and living with Trick. When she met her father, when she started to really notice it, she realized she didn't want to raise Bryce with that same privileged, entitled mentality like she was. She wanted him to know that hard work was important and that you didn't always get what you wanted. "I will ask: this ex, is she a good woman? She must be an ex for a reason."

"I'm the reason. I just…I screwed up when we were younger, and I doubt she'll ever look at me like that again. Like I said, it's complicated." Bo took a deep breath, knowing lunch was coming to a close. Meals with her father always went in patterns: happy to be there, frustrated at him while there, then sad to see it end. "She's a great woman. I've never met anyone like her; she's utterly fascinating and remarkable. It's not helping that she just got more attractive as we've aged."

"First loves are always hard to forget." He stood and buttoned his suit jacket before moving to offer her a hand to help her stand. Bo rolled her eyes at the ridiculous chivalry, though she secretly loved it. "If she's truly remarkable, she'll see how much you've changed and have grown into a remarkable and stunning woman yourself."

"Thanks, dad." Bo rarely called him that unless he was really acting like the idealized version of a father she always pictured. Hearing him compliment her brought a batch of tears to her eyes, so she even relented and hugged him before they parted ways. It may have been strange talking about Lauren to her father of all people, but it felt good that they'd finally formed that father-daughter bond where she felt comfortable enough to do so. She was convinced that calm, loved feeling was what helped her fall into a deep sleep that night. It was also the first time she hadn't called Avery a dozen times an hour to check on Bryce.


	5. Lessons Learned

Chapter Five: Lessons Learned

_"How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?" –_Verbal from_ The Usual Suspects_

* * *

Lauren had been so busy the past few weeks with work and helping Trick that she forgot to take time out for herself. She was starting to get into that overstressed pattern again, where she was obsessed with solving problems and forgetting to sleep and eat on a regular basis. That's why Hale dragged her to the bar tonight. He insisted that she tag along and finally meet Kenzi. Lauren only agreed once he promised Bo wouldn't be there. She really wasn't ready to be in a social setting with her; she hoped she never had to be. The casual nods in the compound's hallway or during meetings were enough for now.

Lauren had missed a few of her morning runs with Hale, so she had actually been running whenever she needed to calm down or felt her energy waning. For some reason, if she was ever stuck on a problem, all she had to do was run to clear her head. The answer usually came in a "eureka" moment in the middle of a mile, and Lauren would run even faster to get back and test her theories. Of course, the psychophysical properties of why was something she could explain and readily had to Hale on several occasions until she realized he was just goading her into geeking out.

Running was something she used to do in college and med school, and the thing just seemed to stick. It was great for keeping her body in shape and great for clearing her mind, whether she explained it to Hale repeatedly or not. She didn't get a chance to run as much in the Congo, considering the dangers of the rainforest, so she was extremely happy to get that particular habit back when she returned to the city, despite her knees being a bit angrier at her than they used to be. She didn't remember them ever hurting this much, but she knew that came with aging, too. She didn't have the knees of her twenty-something body anymore, and it didn't help that she had strained them so much when she was younger and playing sports. After her run earlier, she went home to soak her shin splints and runners knee before getting ready to meet Hale. A simple bath had never felt so nice, and she actually found herself looking forward to a relaxing evening with her best friend. It was long overdue.

Sipping the beer she ordered five minutes ago, not really that interested in the alcohol tonight for some reason, Lauren decided to play with the label instead. She peeled it off carefully, as though it was an important surgery and the patient's survival was contingent upon whether she could remove this label in one calm stroke. When it came off smoothly, thanks to the still cold temperature and the condensation of the bottle, she let out a light chuckle under her breath. It was the first moment she had actually allowed herself to relax in weeks, and it felt good. Right now, she wasn't a workaholic doctor. She wasn't the main advisor to a major crime boss. No, right now, she was just Lauren Lewis, and that felt even better. That was something she actually hadn't felt in years. This was actually the first moment she had really relaxed since her return.

It wasn't long after she finally finished her first beer when Hale showed up, a young and tiny human seemingly gripping onto his arm. Lauren couldn't help but smile a little because the girl was cute. She also was clearly staking her claim, which meant she felt at least a little threatened that another woman was spending so much time with her boyfriend. To Lauren, that meant this Kenzi knew what she had in Hale, and that was why Lauren immediately decided she was going to make an effort to be friendly to this woman. Plus, this was the mother of her best friend's child, so she would have to play nice if she ever planned on meeting Bryce. If Kenzi was this territorial on Hale, then she would definitely be territorial over their son.

"Doc! How's tricks?" Hale came over with the biggest grin on his face and placed his hand on Lauren's back in greeting. "Sitting at the bar all by your lonesome? Am I late?"

"No. I'm early." Even if she didn't bother with it much when the beer was placed in her hand, Lauren didn't want to admit she actually needed something to drink so she wouldn't be as stiff tonight. It was like having pre-banquet cocktails when she was a major speaker at a conference. She had only missed accepting an award once because she passed out on the couch from too much champagne before the party actually started. Lessons learned and all that.

"Lauren, this is Kenzi. Kenzi, Lauren." Hale moved aside so the three of them would be able to look at each other. Kenzi was eyeing Lauren from top to bottom, which made her feel a bit overly analyzed on her look. So much for the beer helping to keep her from being stiff. "I spotted a free booth in the back. Why don't you two go snag it while I grab this round?"

"Sure." Lauren stood from the barstool, kind of glad that she wouldn't have to stare at her own reflection staring back at her in the mirror behind the bar. She always hated going to bars with mirrors like that because it only served as a visual reminder that the patron was alone. It was like rubbing salt in the wounds of someone's loneliness. Then again, it was a genius business tactic because it made people more miserable so they would buy more alcohol to drown away their sorrows of being alone. At least Lauren wasn't one of those people tonight, as she and Kenzi made their way to the booth. As they walked, Lauren had a chance to check out Kenzi completely. She was definitely cute, but it was hard to believe this tiny human had birthed a child; her hips were insanely small and Lauren found herself curious about that on a scientific level.

"So, you're the infamous Lauren." Kenzi was the one who spoke first when they ducked into the benches, which made Lauren sigh a bit in relief. Lauren was always bad at these things, and she had gathered enough intel from Hale to know this was Bo's best friend, which meant that whatever Lauren did or said tonight could get back to the other woman. Lauren tried not to care, but she had to be honest with herself. The more she saw of Bo, the more she was beginning to realize she really did still care. That didn't mean she was ready to accept that yet; she could stay in denial and avoid the subject for as long as possible.

"And you're Kenzi." She took a deep breath and wished she still had a bottle to keep her hands occupied. "Hale's told me quite a bit about you."

"Yeah, well, I know barely anything about you." She narrowed her eyes, almost like she was studying Lauren and threatening her at the same time. "He says you aren't into him, but nobody spends that much time with another woman's man if they don't have other motives."

"Kenzi, I can promise you, Hale and I are only and only ever will be friends." Lauren smirked a bit, surprised at herself for not being overly protective of her best friend and ripping Kenzi a new one for not just marrying Hale and getting it over with. They already had a kid, and Lauren could tell just by looking at her how much she loved and appreciated Hale. So, why would she say no to him? That made Lauren skeptical about the woman sitting across from her. "He's not my type."

"We started as friends, too, though. Look at us now." Kenzi smiled up at Hale as he scooted the three bottles across the table. His expression said that he heard the last bit of the conversation and knew what they were talking about without having to ask.

"You were never just a friend to me, Kenz." Hale grabbed one of the bottles and took a long sip as he sat down next to Kenzi, immediately putting his arm on the back of the bench. The casual gesture was actually intimate and familiar, and Lauren was glad to see how much he loved Kenzi, too. She was glad to see him happy and in love; it looked good on him. Much better than those silly hats he used to wear. "Lauren and I grew up together. You know this. Besides, I'm not her type."

"So I've heard." Kenzi narrowed her eyes even tighter, her dark eyeliner and mascara almost making it seem like her eyes were nothing but black slits with a hint of slate blue. Lauren forced herself not to shift in her discomfort, and she was thankful when Kenzi finally leaned back and relaxed into Hale. She obviously wasn't admitting defeat, but she was throwing a possible white flag for the evening. "I have this friend who might be your type. Shit, dude, she's everybody's type. Actually, she's free tonight. I can call her and have her join us if you…"

"Um, Kenz. Not a good idea." Hale caught on before Lauren did, probably because he knew his girlfriend well enough to know what she was doing. Kenzi was talking about Bo, and this did make Lauren shift her left leg slightly in discomfort as she tried not to make her quick breath noticeable. Luckily, the other two were too focused on each other to notice her. "Besides, Lauren just moved back and is still settling down. She has too much on her plate to worry about those things."

"All the more reason to get out there and meet people. Although, you've already met her, I'm sure. She's kind of hard to miss considering you're part of the family." Suddenly, Lauren decided that Kenzi was the most annoying person she had ever met. She was too bossy. Before, Lauren considered her hanging onto Hale as a cute, jealous thing. Now, she could only see her as clingy.

"Kenz, trust me. Lauren's not interested." Hale's jaw steeled and sent Kenzi this intense look, which meant he hadn't told his girlfriend anything about Bo and Lauren's past together. Since Kenzi was Bo's best friend, it appeared like Bo had left out that information, too. Lauren was kind of relieved at that, though this conversation could possibly have been avoided if he had. She thought Kenzi was making fun of her because the other girl knew the history; now, she knew it wasn't out of malice. It was just because of lack of information. Hale sent Lauren an apologetic look.

"Geez, okay. Chill, dude." She rolled her eyes at him, still ignoring that Lauren was sitting right there while she talked about her. "I'm just saying BoBo needs some, and Doctor Hotpants here obviously needs to get laid. It would work out for both parties. Plus, it's still keeping it in the family. I don't see the problem here."

"Drop it, Kenz." His tone suggested there should be no more argument, though he was still polite. Hale never was an overly aggressive person, even when he was mad. It's what surprised Lauren the most to find he had worked a few years with one of the more brutal teams in the capo regime, right behind Dyson, who she had no trouble picturing as a big brute. It was hard to picture Hale as a killer; he was always more the peacekeeper type to her.

"Okay." She took another sip of her beer before chuckling, not letting anyone else in on the joke. Lauren really wasn't sure what to think about this girl. Bossy. Clingy. Immature. These seemed to be the best three adjectives to describe Kenzi so far. "Probably weird you being the boss of her anyways only for her to be the boss of you later. Trickster probably wouldn't be too happy about it, either. You should've seen his face whenever Bo slept with the soldiers, especially Dyson. That was almost like a telenovela. I'm surprised Dyson got to keep his balls; pretty sure a few of the soldiers didn't. Adding you to the mix would make this the world's craziest gangster squad soap opera."

"Kenz." Hale sighed before sending another apologetic look, and Lauren had a feeling he didn't win many arguments with his girlfriend.

"Okay. Okay. The world's only gangster squad soap opera." She took another sip, finishing her beer off and grabbing for Hale's to finish the rest of his. Lauren half expected the young girl to steal her beer, too, so she gripped her bottle a little tighter. From reading the family files and from listening to Hale's stories, Lauren learned that Kenzi's specialty was pilfering things. Her tiny figure and seemingly adorable and outgoing personality made her the perfect looter, Lauren had to admit. That made her dangerous because she was unpredictable. "For real this time. No more BoLo, I promise."

"Tell me how work was today, Doc." Hale made it a point to turn his body more toward Lauren, and she had to admit she did feel included in the conversation again, though the rest of the short evening, she couldn't stop thinking about Bo, and it pissed her off. Her final opinion on Kenzi would have to come later once she let the alcohol settle in her system and her complete logical synapses were firing on all cylinders again. She was trying hard to deny her attraction to Bo, but Lauren couldn't help but notice how much the other woman seemed to have really grown into her body and looks. She looked great as a teenager, but she was definitely all woman now. Was it possible to get sexier with age? The fact that Kenzi mentioned her and Bo in a sexual manner did not help any at all. Even if the girl didn't know, that didn't mean it changed how Lauren reacted to it.

After only two drinks – on her part, since Kenzi started slamming vodka shots after that first beer together – Lauren decided to call it a night. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers around her, gripping the comforter tighter than usual as she lay on her side. She still wasn't willing to admit her frustration at Kenzi for making her think about Bo again when tonight was supposed to be stress relieving and not stress inducing. Instead, Kenzi just made it worse, so Lauren decided to try and avoid the young girl as much as she could. She could be civil for Hale's sake, and she would still be his best man if that would ever happen, but that didn't mean she and Kenzi had to get along.

* * *

Bo had spent the evening tending to her grumpy son. He always seemed to be extra grumpy on Mondays when he would get home from pre-school. Even though Bryce loved school, especially the little girls in his class, he was not a fan of Mondays. She understood why, but Bo really wanted to break him of that habit before he started kindergarten next year. When he got home, he would be restless and wouldn't want to go to bed. Tonight, he seemed to have some extra fight in him. It had been a long time since he had thrown such a tantrum, and it always pained Bo to hear him crying like his favorite pet giraffe had died, but she also knew from experience that it was the only way to get Bryce to take her seriously that it was bed time. It seemed to be worse when she got him back on Avery's weekend, which told Bo that his father let the little man stay up way past his bed time and didn't listen to her instructions at all. Now that he was starting school, Bryce would definitely need to stick closer to that schedule. Bo didn't look forward to that conversation with Avery. She never liked telling him how to be a father, but he wasn't the one who had to deal with the tantrum tonight.

Finally, the screaming cries died down and the soft snores started to waft from the bedroom. Bo let out a sigh of relief before moving into the living room to try and catch up on more shows she had missed during the week. She remembered a time when she didn't care about missing television because she was the one in control of when she could watch them. Having Bryce made her change a lot of her habits, though. At least Kenzi was only equally as grumpy as Bryce for just a little while; she finally accepted the changes in Bo's life, which made it easier for Bo to do that herself. Actually, if it weren't for Kenzi, she may not have survived.

Honestly, she loved her life now. She wouldn't trade in the mistakes she made or the partying she did or the loves lost for anything. Whatever she had done in her life got her to where she is now, and she was okay with that; lessons learned and all that.

If only she could figure out what to do about the Lauren situation.

Bo really wished she could forget about it. She knew she had hurt Lauren too much to expect any type of forgiveness. The doctor was still ignoring her unless Bo's input was directly required in meetings. Though, they had graduated to slight smiles and nods of acknowledgement in the hallways and on the compound grounds. So, that was an improvement. At least that's how Bo was reading them; in reality, the nods and smiles were probably just a mask so nobody would question why Lauren avoided her. Bo was trying to be careful and not push because she knew she would only get one chance at redeeming herself to Lauren. The problem was that she had no fucking clue how to do that.

The creaking sounds of the front door slowly opening made Bo snap out of her thoughts. She was not even aware she had missed half of the episode already. From experience, Bo knew to be on alert at all times. There was only one time she was caught off guard, and that was one time too many. She still had the scar from the gunshot on her abdomen. With all of her battle scars, she kind of found she missed the flawless skin she once had before Trick finally gave in and let her be a soldier for those few years. She was actually surprised he let her do it as long as he did when she came back from college. Her argument that she wanted to know what happened directly on the streets so she could be a better leader seemed compelling at the time. He had put her on Dyson's team, even though his was one of the more violent regimes in the family. Maybe that was Trick's intention, though she knew a lot of it was because Trick trusted Dyson to keep her safe. It was funny that she was always saving Dyson's ass; he usually made things worse when he tried to save her. No wonder that relationship never would've lasted beyond anything purely physical for him. Again, she was glad for the experience. However, she had a family now, and nobody messed with her family.

She went to grab the dagger out of the locked glass curio. It was the closest weapon and would make the least noise when she retrieved it. It had been a long time since anybody had tried to break in to her home. It was the first time they had broken into this place since she and Bryce moved here. She knew her family, though, and she made sure to teach Bryce why it was important not to play with the weapons in the cabinets. It was something she was taught at his age, too, though her own mother never bothered to lock anything. That and a natural curiosity is why Bo had a scar on her left thigh from where she thought she was being a tough girl and wanted to show off when she was seven. It did not end well, and she had been grounded for a month. Well, she had been grounded in theory; her mother never really understood the concept of grounding. It was her first battle scar because of the family business. If only she knew then how many she would accrue over the years.

Bo had the dagger gripped in her hand. Even if she hadn't fought in years, it was all muscle memory. She had no doubt she could fuck somebody up if she wanted. The fact that whoever it was thought it was a good idea to intrude this particular home was either the dumbest person ever or was an overly confident assassin from one of the other families. Either way, they were about to discover their mistake.

The noise now came from the dimly lit kitchen; careful clangs of glassware being moved and soft footsteps meant somebody was trying not to be heard. Bo gripped the dagger tighter as she tip-toed around the corner to get a better peak at the situation. She hoped Bryce really was asleep and out cold for the night because she didn't want him to wake up and find his mommy wrestling some stranger in the kitchen. Bo could make out the shadow of someone at the island counter and made her way to surprise them. When she got close enough to see without her glasses on, she became super pissed.

"Kenzi! What the hell?!" Bo dropped the dagger to her side but not without shooting daggers with her eyes. "You know better. Announce yourself, or at least text or knock."

"Dude, I've had a shit weekend. I just needed bestie time, and I didn't want to wake you. I was just going to crawl into your bed like old times." Kenzi finished slathering mustard all over her overstuffed sandwich, which she stole from Bo's refrigerator.

"There had better be enough left for me to make Bryce's lunch tomorrow or you'll be making a late night run for food instead of crawling into beds that are not your own." Bo placed the dagger on the counter before sitting down at the stool. The only light on was the overhead light she kept on over the stove in case Bryce woke up in the middle of the night and wandered around the house in his half-asleep state. "And no more gas station sushi."

"Don't worry. I'm not making that mistake again." Kenzi picked up her plate before coming to sit next to Bo. "P.S. I forgot how badass you are. Good to see you've still got the sexy ninja thing going for you. I may need to bring kickass Bo out of retirement if Hale doesn't get off of my back about this Lauren chick. I don't see what Hale and everybody sees in her. She doesn't impress me a bit."

"Lauren's actually not bad." Bo blushed and tried her best to avoid eye contact with Kenzi. It seemed there was no escaping the object of her reimagined affection. Maybe Kenzi was right. Maybe she desperately just needed to get laid. Maybe then she wouldn't be having phantom sensations in her body whenever Lauren was near her; really, just whenever she thought about Lauren, which seemed to be more often than not these days.

"No, Bo. You drank the Lauren Kool-Aid, too?" Kenzi was staring daggers at her now, which caused Bo to subconsciously need to move the sharp object from her best friend's sight. "What the hell? Am I the only one who sees she's cold and frigid? She's like a frickin' speculum. What's so special about this woman? She's a doctor. She's the consigliere. Big woop. I don't see anything but a robot who barks on command. I don't trust her."

"Kenz…" Bo cleared her throat, suddenly feeling super uncomfortable. It was odd that Lauren decided to come back after all of this time to take a position she clearly didn't want to begin with. There were too many questions Bo should have been asking about Lauren's reappearance in her life, but she didn't give a damn about a single one of the answers if they didn't involve some form of nudity. Bo realized she hadn't even accepted that Lauren was her boss yet, and honestly, that just made her even more off limits and all the more attractive. Bo always had a flare for the forbidden, and none seemed to be more forbidden than Lauren Lewis. That was the only reason Bo could figure as to why she just couldn't let it go. She told herself that was the only reason, and that it had nothing to do with residual feelings.

"What, BoBo? I'm serious." Kenzi looked at her and from her expression, Bo could tell she must be giving her motherly look to her best friend. The one she kept giving Bryce all night when he would act up or call someone mean names. He obviously had picked this up from Kenzi. If she wasn't such a huge help, Kenzi would be grounded from seeing Bryce for a while. For real grounded, too; not the fake grounding Bo used to get. "Don't you scold me, too. I got enough of it from Hale this weekend after a ginormously failed attempt at playing nice with Dr. Freeze."

"Okay, so I admit she's a bit colder than I remember, but she's been through a lot." Bo knew it was unfair to Kenzi because she had never been completely honest with her best friend. If Kenzi knew who Lauren actually was to Bo, she would probably be treating her a lot differently. That apparent meeting the other night may not have been a "ginormously failed attempt." Maybe it was time to talk about it; maybe it was time to tell Kenzi everything and hope for the best.

"Yeah, I know about the dead girlfriend." Kenzi rolled her eyes, though she did counter it with an honest sympathetic look. Kenzi was just being protective and jealous, which Bo suspected would happen once Lauren and Hale started hanging out again. She was actually surprised Kenzi hadn't been more upset about Lauren and Hale before this. Bo remembered being jealous of their friendship, too; in retrospect, she was more jealous of Hale because he could freely associate with Lauren with such ease and no fear of repercussion. Lauren always seemed so free and happy whenever they were hanging out without her. Bo never realized she was afraid Trick would revoke her heritage if he found out about them, which was why she kept it a secret back in school. It's why she continued to keep it a secret after all of these years. In this family, there was no slap on the wrist for doing something wrong. It was always all or nothing when it came to punishments. When she dated Lauren, she still didn't understand exactly how it worked. All she knew was that she was afraid of her grandfather and what he would do to them. After what she had seen and done over the years, she wasn't entirely convinced she was wrong back then. It was time to tell Kenzi. She needed to talk to someone about this; maybe then she could forget about Lauren. Maybe if she was honest and open about the past, she could move on. Maybe if Kenzi knew, she would give Lauren some slack, too.

"Actually, she's…" Bo took a big breath and let it out slowly. She didn't realize how hard this would be. After years of hiding it from the most important person in her life, she felt slightly guilty for never telling her who it was when she referred to "the person" she loved. "She's…the one. The girl. The one you always ask me about but I never tell."

"Wait." Kenzi narrowed her eyes, like she was trying to call Bo's bluff. "No." Bo just smiled cautiously, trying to prepare herself for the lecture she was about to get from Kenzi. "Bo, not her. No way. I refuse to accept that. Anybody but her."

"Well, it's true. Lauren's the ex. She's the one." If it were possible to relax and stress at the same time, Bo had just experienced it. It felt good to reveal this finally; it felt good to say it out loud. She just hoped this helped despite her best friend's obvious newfound bias. Before, Kenzi would beg and beg Bo to tell her who it was so she could find them and bring the girl back to her. Kenzi used to fantasize about this ex coming in and sweeping Bo back off of her feet, and Bo had to admit part of the reason she fantasized so much about Lauren when she returned was because Kenzi had put a lot of those ideas in her head over the years, even if she didn't know who it was.

"You're still hung up on her, aren't you?" Kenzi looked like she wanted to yell all sorts of expletives at Bo. Then, her features suddenly softened. She placed her hand on Bo's knee, and they were obviously both happy for the contact. "I can see it in your face. I know you, Bo. I'm telling you no." They had been so close over the years that Kenzi never had trouble reading what Bo wasn't telling her directly. "I can tell you want to, but you can't go there again. I don't trust her. Even if you still have feelings for her, she obviously has no feelings to give back anymore. I don't think she's the same girl you always talk about."

"She didn't used to be so detached. When we were together, she was so…passionate and delicious and…" Bo let out a long, hard breath. It really did feel better talking about this. Why had she waited so long to admit this to Kenzi? She knew it was partially because of some unspoken need to protect Lauren. Mostly, she knew it was a need all of these years to protect herself. Even though she trusted Kenzi completely, her friend did have a tendency to get overly talkative in sticky situations, and Bo didn't want her biggest secret to be revealed. She realized she was still worried Trick would disown her for something that happened almost twelve years ago.

"Lalalala. I'm not…I can't hear this." Kenzi put her hands to her ears and closed her eyes tightly. She was being overly dramatic, and Bo actually found that comforting. It meant Kenzi was willing to listen but wanted to save face that she cared so much. She had heard Bo tell all sorts of stories about the "one who got away" over the years. Kenzi's encouraging words to find the girl and win her back didn't exactly help Bo's image of Lauren now. For some reason, there was always that sliver of hope that Kenzi's romanticized ideal world would happen. Then, Lauren moved back and everything bled together in Bo's mind. She needed to figure out if her feelings were real, but she had to get Lauren to talk to her first. "I can't jump on this Lauren train everyone seems to be boarding. I'm sorry, BoBo, but something about this chick rubs me the wrong way."

"You promised Hale you'd give her a chance." Bo knew her best friend was mostly jealous, and she understood why. Hale and Lauren had some weird bond and had a lot of history. Bo couldn't deny that she once felt that jealousy herself, though she hadn't witnessed it as much directly yet. Lauren had to talk to her first before that could happen. She'd only seen them running a few times around the compound, Lauren looking overly delicious in her tight running shorts and tshirt. Bo almost got up to run after her once when she ran by the vineyard's office alone last week. If she wasn't in the middle of inventory checking, she would've dropped everything and probably done just that despite her wearing heels and a tight pencil skirt.

"And I did. I tried." It probably wasn't helping Kenzi to find out that Bo had a strong bond with Lauren, too. Kenzi liked to think she was the most important person in Bo and Hale's lives sometimes, which she was to a degree. Having anything or anyone threaten that never boded well for the young woman, which is probably another reason why Bo had put off telling Kenzi about Lauren for so long. Putting a name to things made them more real; it made it harder to fantasize. It seemed okay to keep it private before, but now that Lauren was back, Bo knew Kenzi would eventually pick up on her teenage-crush-like behavior. It was better this way; to tell her now before she caught on anyways.

"Kenz…" Bo smirked a bit and pulled Kenzi's hand into hers.

"Okay, so I wanted to try, but she was so stiff and hard to get along with." Kenzi took a deep breath before squeezing Bo's hand, letting her know that she was okay; that she understood it was a jealousy thing, too. "Now I understand why Hale got on me for saying she needed to get laid."

"You didn't." Bo closed her eyes and tried to picture Lauren's face in that moment. In Bo's fantasy world, the woman seemed excited about the prospect; that familiar crease in her brow indicating she was seriously thinking about and turned on by the idea. In reality, Bo knew Lauren's expression was more similar to that of a deer-in-headlights.

"Well, it's true. She obviously needs a good heave-ho." Kenzi took another bite of her sandwich, not caring that she was talking with her mouth full. "It doesn't make matters any better that I suggested you be the one to do it. I was just so relieved that she wasn't after Hale that I wanted to confirm it even more by giving her a reason not to need to hang out with him so much." Kenzi kept talking and apparently didn't notice how silent Bo had become. When she acknowledged her finally, she sent a sympathetic look and placed her hand on Bo's knee. "Honey, I love you, but you need to get laid, too. It's been way too long. There's no need to starve yourself."

"Well, I'm going for substance in my meals these days. I'm done with junk food." Bo took a deep breath before picking up the lettuce and onion bits that were falling on the counter from Kenzi's haphazard eating. Bryce obviously picked up his eating habits from his aunt, too.

"Please don't let this be the part where you tell me Doctor Hotpants is super gourmet. Quarf." She didn't let that deter her eating, though, as she took another bite that was bigger than her mouth. Sometimes, Bo wondered how Hale put up with Kenzi's lack of table manners because she was not delicate when she chewed.

"No, I'm just tired of doing the someone-different-every-night routine." Bo caught a pickle slice before it fell on the floor. Kenzi just took it from her and stuffed it into her mouth as she continued to chew. The one good thing was that the sandwich was almost gone, so Bo wouldn't have to pick up after her other kid tonight. "I kind of want to settle down. I want Bryce to see how special that really is; to be in a committed, loving relationship with someone. He never says it, but I can tell he senses something."

"The kid's, like, hella smart. I have no idea what side he takes after there." Kenzi chuckled as she put down the last remnants of crust.

"Noob." Bo just picked up a piece of it and tossed it at her best friend, both of them shocked when it landed in her shirt. Ever the lady, Kenzi picked it out of her bra and ate it.

"So…does this mean you're going to pursue the Doc then? Is that why you've been weird lately?" Of course Kenzi would have already picked up on it. Bo would have been more surprised if she hadn't.

"We have history, and I didn't exactly treat her that well the first time. Hell, you're only the third person to actually know about the relationship." Bo let out a deep breath before using her eyes to apologize first. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"Makes more sense why you avoided Mr. Lewis so much. He's the dad who caught you two, huh? Plus, I don't imagine giving it to his daughter in the boss's study makes for a good bonding moment." Kenzi surprised Bo by picking up her plate and actually putting it in the sink. If only Bryce could see this action and pick this up from his aunt. "Your life has been a bowl of awkward moments and bad timing. I really do need to document everything and sell it as the only gangster squad soap opera. I'd make a fortune."

"That time, or rather, the entire relationship, it was me just being immature and taking things for granted. It's why I keep pushing you so much to just accept Hale's proposals. I know what it's like to love someone so much but not really understand what you had until it was gone."

"You really like the doc that much?" Kenzi's tone suggested she was lending a sympathetic ear, though Bo could still sense the jealousy. "You still lurve her?"

"I don't know what I feel, but…yeah. I don't think you ever really stop loving your first real love. You just learn to love other things." She smoothed out her pajama pants before standing and picking up the dagger, now knowing there was no real threat to anything except the contents of her fridge.

"I'll try to make an effort, then. I just…" Kenzi looked like she was going through some internal war. It reminded Bo of how Bryce tried to reconcile the fact that he had to give up some of his favorite toys when he outgrew them. When they took them to donate to the local orphanage, he saw all of the other children there and actually made the rounds as he played with them. He didn't cry once he realized they were going to a good home, and Bo hoped Kenzi would realize that about Lauren soon. As much as Bo tried to fight her feelings, they didn't matter when it came to the business because Trick really did make a great decision making Lauren Lewis the new consigliere. Even though nothing overly bad was happening right now, Lauren was actually doing an excellent job. Even Kenzi wouldn't be able to deny that. It was getting her to admit that Lauren was good in other aspects that would be the real challenge. "Really, Bo? Her? I mean, I get the…hot doctor with legs that go for miles thing. I do. She's hot. She's hella smart. She had a good job. I can admit that. But…really?"

"Really." Bo steeled her jaw and didn't break eye contact, feeling the need to blink but forcing her eyes to stay focused on Kenzi so she would know just how serious she was.

"Fine. I'll be nice to her. Doesn't mean I trust her. She broke your heart once, after all. What's going to stop her from doing it again?" That was the question, really. Was it insanity to even want to go there again? Even if Lauren did pay attention to her, would Bo be able to treat her any differently? If she did treat her with the love and respect she deserved, would her past actions always be looming in the background? Would Lauren always be waiting for the other shoe to drop? Would they even be able to acknowledge the relationship? It was definitely more complicated and dangerous this time. Was that why Bo couldn't stop thinking about it? Stop thinking about her? Whatever was happening, whatever she was feeling, Bo knew it was driving her crazy and she would need to change their interactions sooner than later. Lauren had been the only person she had to court; could she get her to give in a second time?

"I broke hers a thousand times more, so I doubt you'll even have to worry about it, to be honest. It may be hard having her here and not taking advantage of the situation, but…we're not even friends anymore. I doubt she'll be able to forgive and forget." And that was the problem. Bo was afraid she couldn't even forgive herself.

* * *

A/N: Just wanted to send a quick apology for not sticking to my proposed update schedule. I have been stuck with physical therapy for my left arm and rotator cuff, which means it has been a bit painful to type for long periods of time. I had to sanction my typing time to work-related things. Now that I am off for a few weeks, I plan on getting as much of this story posted as possible before I have to go back to work. It may not be uncommon for several chapters to appear over the next few weeks. Thanks for the notes of concern; they were appreciated. I would never abandon the story, especially since it's been completely written for a while. I'm just a perfectionist and always have to do final edits before posting. I also hate to put in author's notes because they break up the flow of a story when read in succession, but I felt the need to explain my absence. I will probably delete this note eventually.


	6. The Family Business

Chapter Six: The Family Business

_"Natural law. Sons are put on this earth to trouble their fathers." _John Rooney from_ Road to Perdition_

* * *

Lauren was having a slower day compared to the craziness of the past few weeks. She was glad to be able to sit in her lab and check on a few experiments she started when she set up her space. She usually did not get to run tests until after her last patient of the day, and if it were not for her research assistant, her cultures would probably be growing cultures. With the crazy of the week, she was glad for the solitude of the lab. There was something about the peace she felt with the humming of the equipment and the coldness of the lab. She had to admit she missed this technology while in the Congo. So much had changed in the few years she had been away, too, and she was not surprised Trick set her up with everything state-of-the-art, promising if she ever needed anything, all she had to do was tell him.

Lauren had no doubt he would give it to her, too. One thing she noticed about working for Trick was that if you stayed on his good side, then you got whatever you wanted. However, Lauren also was starting to witness the subtle ways Trick treated those in his bad graces. Dyson was a recent case. Apparently, Dyson must have upset Trick in some way because the don was treating his golden boy with a lot more dismissiveness. If Lauren didn't know how much Trick favored Dyson, she wouldn't have picked up on it, either. It was subtle, and that was sometimes worse from Lauren had observed. She didn't know the details of what happened, and she was smart enough not to ask unless Trick volunteered the information. It made her realize just how much she had yet to get comfortable in this new position.

She had spent so much time learning the family's business and setting up her practice that she had failed to even look too much into the family. There was one reason she knew she was avoiding that. If she started looking, she would immediately be drawn to Bo's file, and she honestly didn't want to know what Bo had been doing these past few years. She decided to stay with the basic info Hale told her about the various family members and what their roles were. She knew it was bad form, considering she liked to know everything before making decisions, but she knew Trick had all of the history already so he wouldn't suggest anything to her that he didn't already think was appropriate for certain people within the family.

"Dr. Lewis, there is a VIP patient in your office in need of your immediate assistance. Very high priority." The nurses would normally not bother Lauren when she was in the zone in her lab. If they put the patient in her private office, that meant it was somebody extremely important, so Lauren started moving to put away her stuff without question.

Most of the cases that came in to the office could be treated by the nurse practitioner, which Trick had designed for her to have in case he ever needed her on business outside of the practice. So far, that had not been the case, but Lauren knew that it would happen one day. She also hadn't utilized the nurse practitioner as much as she should. She actually wasn't sure if she dreaded that day when she would have no option or not because there was a certain excitement in finally being into the business. She could admit the danger was slightly appealing.

"Of course, Marlene." Lauren took a deep breath before pushing away from her microscope. So much for taking a relaxing afternoon and going home early tonight. She was glad she hadn't called or texted Hale to see what he was doing tonight. He probably thought she was avoiding him since meeting Kenzi. Honestly, Lauren just got busy and wasn't really sure what to say about Kenzi. She wanted to like her; honestly, she did. They just didn't click.

She had to let out a deeper sigh when she immediately recognized the younger girl as she walked into the exam room. The cute little boy sitting on the table next to her had quite the infectious smile, though, so it was hard not to smile in return.

"Kenzi." Lauren nodded in acknowledgement as she walked into the room, flipping through the notes on her touchscreen to let her know the young boy's vitals. She remembered his name was Bryce, as she recognized him from the pictures Hale showed her, so she just started looking at his vitals and the symptoms listed from the nurse's triage. She put her laptop down on the table and flipped the screen back around so she could type some notes herself. "So, Bryce, is it?"

"You bet!" The young boy had the cutest dimples, and his eyes were a deep chocolate. Seeing him this close, Lauren tried to decide who he favored more: Kenzi or Hale. She actually came up blank and tried to decide if she had just assumed Hale's son was also Kenzi's. Maybe Lauren should have been more attentive in that regard, but the subject of Bryce never came back up in conversations. She really did need to pay more attention to social aspects; she wasn't in the Congo anymore, and it was okay to be close to somebody again. Since she was already close to Hale before, he should be the obvious choice. Yet, she still found herself pulling away. Perhaps that's another reason why she kept avoiding Bo, too. If she let one person in from her past, then she would be tempted to let others in once she adapted to that comfortable reminiscence. She had seen too many people do too many crazy things because of a physical need for closeness to another human being; it made sense psychologically to flock to someone familiar. Wasn't that why she slept with Bo that one last time before she left for college? She knew everything was about to change around her, so she clung to one last bit of her past when it was offered to her. She wasn't that weak anymore, but she also knew her situation was a lot more complicated now.

"So, you're not feeling too well, huh? Tell me what's going on." Lauren leaned back and opened her posture more to let him feel more comfortable. She could have gone to sit behind her desk, but she learned from experience that young children opened up more when there was a lower visual of authority. Her office was already wall-to-ceiling shelves of medical texts and journals and the medical posters and degrees hanging on the walls did not exactly leave for a particularly child-like environment. Hale's son was high priority to her, though, so she was glad the nurse brought him to her office, though she knew he would have felt more comfortable in the pediatric exam room; at least it had more color and light in there.

"My throat tickles. Mommy panicked and wanted to bring me, but I'm not sick. I can still play." He puffed up his chest a bit and his dark grey polo shirt moved with him to show just how small he was. Lauren looked at her notes again, unable to hide her smile, just to confirm this young boy was only four. He seemed to cognitively understand more than an average child his age, and that made Lauren aware she would get along with this kid just fine.

"Well, I'm sure your mommy was just concerned." Lauren smirked at Kenzi before standing to walk over to the exam table against the wall. She went to start feeling around his lymph nodes and did notice a few lumps that shouldn't be there. She pulled her portable oscilloscope from her labcoat pocket and turned it on. "Open your mouth and say 'aww' for me, okay?"

"Okay." He actually seemed nervous when she walked closer to him. If she didn't know better, she would think he was blushing a bit, but he quickly recovered and puffed his chest out again before following her instructions. He did have some swollen nodes, and she wanted to run a test for strep, though she suspected it would be a simple sore throat.

"Is that all that hurts? No stomachache?" Lauren moved back again to feel around his stomach to make sure no other spots were inflamed. It was more precaution than anything.

"No. Just the throat. I can still play." He smiled up at her when she started to look into his ears. "You smell nice…and you're pretty."

"I'll bet you say that to all of the girls." Lauren smiled, as she could now see the family resemblance. While it wasn't a direct line she had ever heard Hale use, she knew his old MO was to compliment someone first. She wasn't surprised how often it worked for him.

"Only the extra special ones. My mommy only flirts with the extra special ones, so she tells me to be nice to girls I like if I want them to like me back. My daddy calls me a little ladies man." He seemed proud of that, and Lauren could actually picture Hale saying that to this little boy. It was amazing what children would pick up from their parents. Bryce probably had no clue what that actually meant, which made her smile a bit at his innocence.

"I'll bet he does." Lauren moved back to her tablet to mark some notes and order the tests. If the nurses were doing what they were supposed to be doing, they would be in within the next few minutes to administer the test. Honestly, she could just go ahead and do it herself, but she wanted to follow some semblance of protocol so early in the practice.

"Is that Maddie?" He pointed to one of the personal photos she had hanging on the wall. It was the only picture she had of her brother's family, actually. "She's my future wife."

"Well, then, I guess that makes you my future nephew-in-law." He was just too cute, and Lauren couldn't help but like the idea of joining her and Hale's family through marriage. Her father used to tease her that was going to happen with them, too; that was, until he caught her with Bo. After that, he never teased her again about being so close to Hale. In fact, he stopped mentioning her love life altogether.

"Huh?" Bryce did the same thing with his eyebrows that Bo used to do when she was confused. If she didn't know better, she would think Hale and Bo had a kid together, but he would have said something about that. Still, the resemblance was there; much more than Kenzi.

"Maddie is my niece." Lauren smiled at him, as he seemed to understand immediately. She loved how smart this kid was.

"Oh! Cool. How do I get her to marry me?" He was so enthusiastic and convinced this was going to happen, and that level of commitment and excitement made her love this kid even more. She definitely hoped to hang out with him more often. She would have to tell Hale that he should bring him along sometimes when they hung out. They didn't have to meet at the bar all of the time or run in the mornings, even if they hadn't done either in awhile. In her defense, the phone went both ways, and she did see Hale sometimes at the compound when she was in meetings with Trick. They only exchanged brief waves and smiles and small talk, though.

"Bryce, I doubt you want tips from someone who thinks seduction is a night at the symphony." Kenzi chuckled at her own joke, though neither Lauren nor Bryce found that amusing.

"Bach works every time." Lauren would stand her ground on that, too. She could remember Bo sneaking into her window one night, surprising her while she was studying. Lauren couldn't remember what she was studying at the time, but she remembered Bach was playing lightly over the stereo because Bo commented on how sexy it made her feel, which was extremely odd. While not her choice of mood music, somehow it had turned into it that night; though, it usually didn't take much to get Bo in the mood. It's why they got caught: twice.

"What's a Bach?" He looked over to Lauren, obviously hoping she could answer his question. He seemed to understand Kenzi wasn't going to give him what he wanted.

"Music with a lot of beauty and soul." She smirked at him before raising an eyebrow in challenge at Kenzi. Lauren was actually surprised she had stayed silent thus far. Usually, parents were quite vocal about their children's health. It only added proof to Lauren's hypothesis that she had assumed Kenzi was this boy's mother when that wasn't the case at all. It only made her more curious, but she didn't want to be too obvious by looking down at his chart again to check his surname. She would do that once they left.

"More like music to bore someone to tears. Trust me, little man. Barry White. He's the one you want." Kenzi waved her hand in front of Bryce's face, and he giggled at her. Even if she wasn't his mother, these two were definitely close. "Bach is not the droid you are looking for."

"Do you think Maddie would like Bach?" He stopped his giggles before turning serious again. He looked up with those big, chocolate brown eyes. They were so expressive and so familiar, and she had a hard time not believing this boy was Bo's. Even his smile was Bo's, though Lauren could be subconsciously projecting her own thoughts and desires onto a little kid. She once thought she and Bo would have children together by now. They had even picked out their baby names one night when they were snuggling post-coital: Charlotte and Ethan. Maybe it was time she started being nice to Bo; they really did have some good moments, and she couldn't avoid her forever. Maybe her mind would stop projecting on others if she just did something about it.

"Her other daddy is a concert pianist, so she will love Bach." Lauren patted him on his knee before deciding to just go ahead and finish the exam and test herself. The nurses must have assumed since he was a high priority patient that she would do it anyways, which made sense. Trick would want his priorities covered by her directly. Lauren liked that he considered this little boy such an important part of the family, too. There was even a picture of Bryce up in his office, right next to Bo's, actually. Lauren wanted to pretend like she hadn't noticed that, but it was harder to avoid Bo when she was staring at her all of the time via photograph. Suddenly, it made complete sense that this little boy was Bo's, and that made her stomach drop a little. She had to work over time to ensure Kenzi didn't see her reaction.

"A penis? Isn't that a bad word? Mommy calls Dyson a 'walking penis.'" He seemed shocked in that little kid way, dropping his voice to a whisper as though he would get in trouble just for repeating the word. If only this kid knew how accurate his mommy really was. Dyson really could be a walking penis sometimes. He definitely hadn't made her job easier. She knew she just had to find a way to prove her dominance over him; to break him from his alpha status.

"No, sweetie. It means that Maddie's dad plays the piano." Lauren bit her lip to keep from laughing, though Kenzi's snort and choke didn't fail to appear.

"Oh. That's okay then." He followed her instructions and smiled at her through the rest of the exam. He seemed happy with this new knowledge; almost like he had the inside scoop on how to woo his future bride. As Lauren watched Kenzi escort him from her office, Lauren actually hoped he would succeed because he was such a cute kid. She could imagine Maddie could do a lot worse, though she imagined her brother wouldn't want Maddie to marry too far into the family, and if this kid was high priority, then he was definitely somebody important in the family. Lauren looked down and noticed why immediately. Bryce was a McCorrigan. No wonder he looked so much like Bo; right there under "mother" told her what she wanted to know, but the blank under "father" only piqued her curiosity more. Why wouldn't Bo claim Bryce's father as Hale? Lauren felt like this was Bo being her old self and hiding Hale just like she hid Lauren.

At that moment, as she fell back into her office chair, she didn't know what she felt about Bo anymore because a tidal wave of differing emotions swept over her without warning.

* * *

Bo was stressing about the latest shipment disaster. These were the parts of her day job she hated, and these were the days when she missed the action of being on the streets the most. Her leg would twitch, or she would find herself beating her pen against the desk, so she would stand up and go over to look out the office window. If the weather were nicer today, she would probably be fantasizing about being out in the field, either literally with the miles of vineyard she could see, or figuratively as a soldier again. Bo missed working with her hands so directly.

Then, she would look over to the pictures on her shelves and be reminded why she gave up field work: Bryce. Bo had heard of parents sacrificing a lot of their own hopes and dreams and desires to make sure their children were safe and healthy, but she never would have imagined she would be one of them. Now, she couldn't imagine ever being that selfish again. It seemed like her nature had changed when she had to nurture another human being. Then again, she never really had any set goals for her life before, so when Bryce was born, she suddenly had a purpose and could start imagining the future in realistic terms.

However, today, she had never been happier for Kenzi being in her life. It was easier for Kenzi to get away today than it was for Bo. Again, she kind of missed that freedom that came with being on the streets, but again, she was glad Bryce had a warm and safe place to call home.

Since he wasn't feeling well today, the daycare called for her to come and get him, but she was knee deep in stacks of paperwork and trying to figure out which idiot screwed up the orders to the local restaurants around town. Trick wouldn't be happy if he discovered how little of their wine was shipped, and she had to guarantee it was a mess up on the books so she could fix the problem before he found out that something bigger was brewing. She really hoped to find something wrong with the books because last time this happened, she had been a soldier, and she had a lot of blood on her hands because of it. While she wasn't contracted to kill anyone, she did do a lot of damage and break a lot of bones. The owner at Coeur du Vino still flinched when she went in for dinner. Secretly, Bo loved that she still elicited that kind of response and fear from people. She may have been out of the physical game for a while, but she still had the intimidation factor that came naturally with her family. She carried it with her always.

However, that meant she was stuck behind a desk in a dark office today instead of picking up her son from preschool and taking him to the doctor. Bo could admit the idea of having a reason to talk to Lauren was appealing, but it would be an odd way of revealing she had a kid now. Bo couldn't help but wonder how Lauren would react to that fact; she was about to find out today, though. There was no more avoiding the fact because Lauren was the family doctor now and her son was sick. Nothing ever indicated Lauren would be mean to Bryce because of being her son, but that didn't make Bo any less concerned at the possibility. Actually, she had been putting off her own yearly checkup just so she could avoid the Lauren issue a little bit longer. Eventually, Trick would notice they were purposefully ignoring each other, and that would just cause him to ask questions. It was time to do something and stop thinking about it because she was thinking about it too much, and it was becoming way too distracting.

She huffed out a sigh when she realized yet another order was correct with what actually shipped. That meant there was a pattern emerging in the orders. Her next step was to visit the places herself and talk to the owners. If there was a problem with the product, the family, or the competition, she needed to know. The four cases she had come across so far were in a generalized area in the city, which most likely meant that another family was bothering business. She really didn't want to fool with this anymore today, so she decided to call it and go home to her sick son.

She could hear Bryce's excited voice before she walked into her living room. Kenzi was supposed to take him home after the doctor's appointment, just in case Bo was stuck in the office past bedtime. That hadn't happened for a while, but she didn't want them to wait up for her and have him be bored in the office all day in case she was. Kenzi was such a great aunt to him, even if she was a little bit of a bad influence at times. She started seeing some of Kenzi's actions in a different manner; things that used to be endearing would quickly become frustrating and dangerous. They were best friends, though, and they had been through too much together. Eventually, Kenzi would grow up, too.

"What are you doing, buddy?" Bo took a deep breath and couldn't hide the smile at seeing her son buried around piles of her CD portfolios, which were no longer organized on the shelves. She immediately could see he was sick, but she also saw how hard he was trying to fight it.

"Looking for Bach. Dr. Lauren said I needed Bach if I wanted to get Maddie to marry me." He just smiled up at her before resuming his task. Bo tried not to blush at hearing "Lauren" and "marry" in the same sentence. She was trying not to think of Lauren as a potential partner anymore because she could remember after sex snuggles that often resulted in them making those kinds of plans, and it just made her feel guilty again. At the time, she meant them; a life and future with Lauren sounded so appealing. The reality of their situation, though, was always niggling at the back of her mind, so she never really completely believed the things she would say. It only made her feel worse knowing exactly how bad of a girlfriend she actually was. She could only hope and pray that she had changed enough to actually have a real future with someone. Seeing Lauren so much around the compound and remembering all of those promises she made only made Bo start to actually believe some of the things she used to say.

"Seems like being smitten with Dr. Hotpants runs in the family." Kenzi peeked up over the side of the couch, where she was hiding from Bo's vision. There was no doubt her best friend encouraged this destruction just so she could keep an eye on him while she sent dirty text messages back and forth with Hale. It wouldn't be the first time that Kenzi had used that as a babysitting tactic. "Think I should pick up some Bach for you? See if it charms the pants off of her the next time you two are in a room together?"

"I doubt Bach will do the trick." Bo chuckled lightly and again tried to hide her blush because it actually worked the other way around. Somehow, Bach had charmed the pants off of her. Then again, it could have been seeing Lauren all focused and studying and being super smart. There was a reason Bo used to call her "Nerd Bait." Even if she used it in a derogatory manner around her friends, it was quite true for her. Seeing Lauren being all smart was super sexy, and it baited Bo every time.

"That's what I said, but she said it was her signature move!" Kenzi laughed and rolled her eyes. At least she was making an effort and had started to tease her about it instead of trying to convince her to give up her feelings, as though wishing them away would make them magically disappear.

"Lauren said that?" She laughed again. This time, she arched an eyebrow in question at Kenzi because she couldn't imagine Lauren using that move on anybody. She hadn't even intentionally used it on her. It just reminded Bo of what Lauren's signature move really was, and Bach was far from the truth. Perhaps it was the doctor's way of sounding more sophisticated and fancy.

"What?" Kenzi smirked a bit and narrowed her eyes, almost like she was trying to figure out why Bo was laughing before she learned why. It only caused Bo to laugh more, happy for the relief from her stressful day. Sometimes, Kenzi was much better than any medicine that even Dr. Lauren Lewis could prescribe her. Well, that she could _prescribe_ her. There was a lot to be said for sexual healing.

"Nothing. Just…" Bo bit her lip, controlling her chuckles and wondering if she should even tell this. It was too funny to leave, though, and it felt good to finally talk to somebody about this, even if it was over ten years after the fact. "Bach was not her signature move. In fact, I'm pretty sure our sex playlist included the Spice Girls."

"Well, I guess the Spice Girls can be sexy." Kenzi looked doubtful, even as she said it. Bo let out a deep breath as she came to sit down on the couch next to her best friend, watching her son concentrate so hard on finding a Bach CD. She didn't have the heart to tell him he would be looking for a while because she wasn't entirely sure she still had it.

"I mean the 'I tell you what I want; what I really, really want' Spice Girls." Again, Bo had to bite her lip to control her chuckles. The shocked and disturbed look on Kenzi's face made it a difficult task, though.

"You're supposed to be making me like her, Bo. Remember?" Kenzi shivered dramatically as she shook her hands around her head, almost like she was willing the knowledge to disappear. "I've successfully avoided thinking about Dr. Hotpants naked, but you make it increasingly harder the more you tell me. Now I will never be able to hear those songs without thinking of you two doing the deed. Gross."

"Surprisingly, it worked for me." Bo let out a deep breath as she relaxed back into the couch. There was no use hiding her fluster now. She was equal parts flustered and frustrated; she was flustrated. Reminiscing about some of the best sex of her life was not helping at all. The thought that they were so young when these things happened only made her realize how much better it would be now that they had matured. Then again, part of the beauty and excellence came from the heightened emotional response. Bo really had never had that intensity with anyone else. It only proved how much she really did need to be the one to break the stalemate because she knew one thing about Lauren would never change: her stubbornness.

"What doesn't work for you?" Kenzi relaxed with her, as they both watched Bryce flipping through the CDs. It never occurred to Bo that her son probably couldn't read a lot of the band names and probably didn't know how to even spell Bach. He was a smart kid, though, so he must have had some kind of plan. Either that, or Kenzi just told him to go for it. "Besides, I doubt the Spice Girls would work now." She looked over at Bo with those slate gray eyes, full of amused seriousness. "Let's hope she shifted to Bach."

"Actually, let's hope she didn't." Bo took another deep breath, knowing what she had to do to move forward. That didn't make it any less terrifying, though, and she felt the stress from the day return.


	7. So It Begins

Chapter Seven: So It Begins

_"You a gangster now. You can't learn it at school; you can't have a late start." –_Carlito from_ Carlito's Way_

* * *

Lauren found herself observing an extremely heated argument amongst the elders. Well, at least it felt heated despite the lack of yelling in the room. It was just a general cacophony of raised voices and passionate battle cries. She was happy she took the time the past few days to really pour over the personnel files. After discovering something so major about Bo, Lauren realized she was being an idiot and not completely doing her job, so she managed to learn every possible thing she could about every member of the family. Some of the things she wished she didn't know, but she knew that knowledge was power. If she had come to this meeting and experienced this first major argument without that knowledge, she would have probably begged Trick to replace her because she was failing him as a consigliere.

Trick was not a happy person right now, and it was the first time Lauren had officially seen him this irate. She had seen him unhappy before but never angry like this. It was the first time they had any major problems within the business, and it was the first time she was going to be required to do her real job. She had been so buried in her practice and research that she'd avoided the reality of her position for too long. It was another reason she finally studied those files.

She wasn't sure what to think about it yet, so she just sat back and absorbed her surroundings. She listened to the various arguments being made. She listened when Bo explained the situation. She stayed quiet and bit her tongue, knowing it wasn't her place to speak up against the Elders. One thing Trick constantly reminded her was how her father was a great consigliere because he didn't jump into the arguments; instead, he let the arguments play out and talked to Trick in a calm and rational manner afterwards instead. What Lauren learned was that Trick allowed the Elders the chance to vent before he made his own decisions. She had read the files on even deceased members, and she knew exactly why Bo had been scared of her grandfather all of those years ago. The bad part was that there was a lot of things not written in those files; they were full of details, but the hidden meaning behind those details was what made them worrisome. Only three people knew what the codes were, and she unfortunately was one of them now. It was now her, the don, and the file keeper; Lauren wasn't surprised to find that Trick's girlfriend Stella had been the file keeper for some time. No wonder it was so easy for Trick to be with her; she knew all of his secrets.

Honestly, she was a little scared that she would let him down or give him bad advice because she didn't realize what she had gotten herself into until this moment. She didn't want to turn out like the last file keeper, who she was not surprised to find Trick had a love affair with, as well. She wasn't ready or willing to admit it yet, but that information actually gave Lauren some strange hope that things really would be different with her and Bo this time around, considering Bo was going to be don one day so she'd know all of the secrets, too. Lauren didn't imagine Bo was going to take after her grandfather and sleep with Stella. That image disturbed her and she had to shake her mind to clear the thought and focus.

She didn't know her job summary included wanting to scold grown men for getting out of hand, much like a mother would scold her children for fighting unnecessarily. At least Dyson wasn't taking the opportunity to get back into Trick's good graces in this moment, which told Lauren he had at least enough sense to know when to shut up on occasion. She was surprised to find herself relieved that Dyson hadn't done anything worth him being sent to swim with the fishes. She was actually starting to respect him and think of him as family now, even if he was still an ass.

Another positive was that Bo was actually focused and concerned about the problem and had actually done a good job. Bo had told everyone in the meeting today that she had found some major issues with the winery's shipments, and that she had confirmed her suspicions before bringing it to Trick's attention. It was really the first time Bo had talked in these meetings beyond basic updates. Just when she was getting used to the idea that Bo had a four-year-old son with an unknown man (she couldn't decipher that particular code), who could still be Hale for all she knew, Lauren had to deal with her first major business crisis. It didn't help that the crisis came from Bo, though that seemed oddly appropriate given their history. Of course it would be Bo. It seemed her firsts were always with Bo, so why should now be any different now that they were adults?

Lauren had yet to call Hale, still not sure what she would say to him. Why would he keep it a secret that Bo was his son's mother? Why would they keep that from the files completely? Better yet, why didn't he mention Bo even had a son? Did he really think Lauren was that bothered by her past with Bo that she would let it ruin her best and oldest friendship? She really didn't know what to say to him, but she knew she would lack the necessary tact the next time they talked. She had learned all of this stuff about the family, but she didn't learn the one thing she was the most curious about. In retrospect, she honestly wasn't sure how she felt about it. She wanted to be upset, but she saw how happy Hale was and how much more mature Bo seemed. It had been a long time ago, so she shouldn't care like she subconsciously knew she did. If Bryce was Hale's son, then she would get used to the idea.

The only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn't look at Bo the same way anymore, and she didn't know why she didn't notice the changes in the other woman before. She was more grounded, more honest, more mature, and more appreciative of things. Bo McCorrigan (changed to Dennis for protective purposes when she was a soldier, Lauren learned) was a mother now, and for some odd reason, that made her even more attractive. Lauren cursed herself for even thinking that, especially when she was supposed to be paying attention to the meeting instead of how great Bo looked in a skirt suit. Of course she would look good in a skirt suit, and Lauren knew she had been trying hard not to notice this fact. It was hard enough being in this room around Bo, even if they rarely sat close to each other. Lauren hated that she lost some of her professionalism by just being around the other woman, but that was the effect Bo always had on her. She had done a good job of keeping herself focused until today.

And today was a bad day to lose focus. Today was a bad day to finally allow herself to acknowledge how different and utterly sexy Bo was now. It was strictly unprofessional, and she hoped Trick believed her quietly flushed cheeks were from the argument going on around them.

Lauren took a deep breath to calm herself because the argument was escalating again. At least it brought her from staring at Bo's thighs as she sat on the couch across from her. Her cheeks flushed more when she noticed Bo caught her staring. The slight knowing smirk on Bo's face only reminded Lauren of why she didn't want to fool with Bo again. Maybe she hadn't changed that much and Lauren was projecting her own changes onto the woman. She got mad at herself for losing focus and subtly cleared her throat behind Trick as the argument circled back around again. At least this was something she could use to distract her personal thoughts. Lauren lived for the professional because it was what kept her going most days.

The room seemed to be broken into three factions: those who wanted to take it to the vendors; those who wanted to take it to the rival gangs directly; and those who were waiting to hear what Trick had to say before committing to a side. Lauren just sat back and took in all of the arguments, trying not to laugh at the numerous logical fallacies being thrown around the room. Hale was lucky he didn't have to sit in on these meetings anymore, since he gave up the political side of the business last year. He probably wouldn't say why if she asked, but Lauren knew part of the reason he gave up his hierarchical position was because he wanted to be with Kenzi more.

Lauren felt her inner thoughts go personal again, so she forced herself to stiffen and put all of her attention on the problem, even if she had heard the same thing over and over again.

"We need to get down there and remind them who owns them." Elder Mark was the most vocal about firing on all cylinders over something so trivial. He didn't seem to care who they killed; just as long as blood was spilled. He had actually switched back and forth throughout the argument, reminding them of little snide remarks or rude expressions from the various restaurant owners. He didn't seem to care what happened, as long as somebody died. It seemed that killing people was the only way for this guy. Lauren could remember her father talking about Mark when she was younger, calling him a "useless twat." She had no idea how right her father really was about that until now.

"Don, we need to attack now. This is just the beginning of a bigger tactical approach, and we all know it. The other family is testing the waters, probably because they're just now figuring out how to attack after the death of Consigliere Lewis. They think we're weak, and they're striking low to see how easy we'll be to take down." Elder O'Leary was probably Lauren's favorite when she was younger. If only she had known how bloodthirsty this man really was, she probably would have rethought her position on that. Then again, Lauren was an easy child to sway before her mother died. All O'Leary had to do was give her a book and call her "sport" like her father did, and she was smitten with him like she would be a grandfather figure, even if her own father was old enough to be a grandfather. One thing Lauren was quickly realizing from this meeting is that when an opportunity arose to take somebody out, the level of excitement rose in these old men. She imagined the women would react the same if they were here, too. From what she read, they would probably be moreso.

"I agree it has something to do with Lewis's death, but we don't even know which family hit us. They all have motives and means." Elder Berry was her least favorite growing up, and she hated that she actually had to agree with his point. The biggest thing Lauren noticed about this group was how they all seemed to agree on one thing: blood needed to be spilled. Lauren wasn't so sure it was necessary. It was just a lowered wine order, and it didn't make sense why they needed to kill the owners just to prove a point. Wouldn't that be bad for business? Not just because the owners being dead meant that lowered stock would go to zero and money would be lost on changing the guard for that building. They would have to start over again, and surely nobody wanted that. They all groaned about that very thing in a meeting last week, since the new bowling alley owner was being resistant to the order of things in the neighborhood. From their casually violent response to that, Lauren should have known something bigger would have brought out the blood hunger. She looked down and beside her where Trick was sitting behind his desk. He moved his hands. It was such a simple gesture, but it held enough power that everyone in the room stopped to look at the don.

"Gentlemen, that will be all for now. I've heard your arguments repeatedly, and I agree something needs to be done immediately." Trick had remained mostly silent since the arguments began, leaving it to Bo to verbally calm the raising voices and Dyson to step in to physically calm the masses down when a fight almost happened between those same grown men. Lauren actually found herself looking over at Bo and being extremely appreciative for her presence in the room, and more than just appreciative for how she looked in that skirt suit. It was something foreign to Lauren when it came to her feelings for Bo. It seemed the meeting today was a giant testosterone parade, and she was glad for another female presence since Elders Bailey and O'Reilly were on official business today. "Let me consult with Dr. Lewis, and I will declare my decision this afternoon. For now, I suggest you retire to your homes to calm down, so I officially call this meeting to a close. Any objections?"

Lauren couldn't help but chuckle internally because she knew nobody in this room would object to anything Trick said. However, as she watched the others, including Bo and Dyson, leaving the room, Lauren realized what was about to happen. Suddenly, her personal drama with Bo seemed trivial compared to what she was about to do. She knew this day would come, and she was honestly surprised it had taken a month before it did.

"Lauren, you'll have to forgive the bloodlust of old men. They haven't seen action in a very long time. You'll eventually see several years down the line that there comes a certain itch in this business. A lot of those men started as soldiers, so their first instinct is to always fight." Trick moved from behind his desk after two hours of being stuck in his official position. He seemed every bit as troubled as Lauren imagined he would be. This was not an easy situation, and she realized her fear in this moment of failing Trick. There was a fear of not knowing the situation at all because she had never been around the constant violence that lurked beneath the surface of the family business. Her father and Trick and even Bo and Hale protected her from that knowledge, and she couldn't help but wonder if having it would influence her own opinions. There was only so much reading about it could do.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, Elder Berry has a point that we don't know which family is causing the problem." Lauren couldn't help but let out a frustrated breath. Berry was an awful man who always did and still made her feel uncomfortable, though she never knew why beyond the fact he just gave her chills. Now that she knew why; again, there were some things she wished she didn't know about these people. She much preferred just feeling like he was creepy; she didn't like knowing why.

"Yes, I notice you roll your eyes quite a bit when Elder Berry is talking. Not a fan, eh?" Trick smirked and remained casual and playful despite the fact they were in this room to decide if and who would die today. Lauren didn't want to become numb to that fact, but she was worried that one day she would be acting the same way, too, as though a human life was not worth considering. Trick walked over and handed her a glass of scotch, which Lauren accepted as he ushered her to sit on the oversized leather sofa Bo was sitting on earlier when she broke the news to the family. It was the same couch her father had caught them on, which made her take a sip of the scotch so Trick would think the alcohol was the cause of her flushed features. "No worries. Your father often rolled his eyes at Marcus, too."

"Regardless, he was not wrong. We can't hit every family and start wars with everyone. That isn't logical or practical." Lauren took a small sip of the scotch, letting the smoothness of Trick's private reserve coat her throat before she continued. It was the first time she was giving any real business advice, and she felt slightly guilty at feeling like she was playing G-d with so many people's lives. "Similarly, it's not logical or practical to result to violence against these owners, either. Somebody has threatened them and made them feel unsafe; the last thing they need is to be intimidated even further. Instead, why not try a different approach? I'm sure it's not proper protocol or how we work, but why not try talking to these people first? I could quote numerous studies on leadership and organizational communication that mention happy employees are better employees. They're missing that safety tier in the hierarchy of needs, so why should we punish them for reacting with a normal human response to fear? It's only a select few, most of them newer owners, so let's hold off on the violence for now and see if we can't get answers first. The more knowledge we have, the better we will be able to avoid any negative consequences. Maybe we'll even earn the real respect and loyalty from these new owners."

"You do know this is just the beginning?" Trick was referring more than just this scenario. Lauren nodded that she understood. Still, they knew to stay on task for now. She could deal with how this business would change her as it happened.

"I'm well aware." She took another sip of her scotch and smiled a bit, remembering the various arguments. "Actually, it was Bo who we should have listened to the most in this meeting. She had already done so much of the preliminary work for us when she could have just handled the situation herself. Instead, she actually thought beyond her impulses as a soldier."

"Yes, I'm glad you realized that, too. It'll make the transition for you both easier if you can get along and become close. You finally got the chance to see how good she is at this job, and she's going to get a chance to see how good you are, too. I'm only sorry you couldn't have been friends when you were younger. Your father mentioned Bo was quite fond of you back then; almost like she had a cute little crush on you." If only Trick knew that their "friendship" and history was what was driving them apart now. Lauren considered telling him so that it could never be used against them, but if her father never told Trick the real story, then she knew the decision to keep their relationship a secret was more important and safer. "Perhaps you could find ways to be more social with her for when she takes control. One of the things that made this family so strong for so many years was because of how close and in tune your father and I were. I want that for you and Bo. I want to know my family will continue to be strong."

"Of course." Lauren took in a deep breath, knowing her body and jaw stiffened. She watched Trick's eyes narrow, like he was reading her, but from his expression, she could tell he was just worried she would be resistant to his idea. If only he knew.

"Good." He nodded lightly before standing again. He walked back to his desk but didn't sit down. Instead, he looked over at Lauren with a stony glare. She knew what was happening, but a small part of the innocence she had left wanted to cling on just a little bit longer. "We will hold off on the violence for now, but if it becomes necessary, I trust my soldiers to do their job, and so should you."

"Of course." Lauren stood and smoothed out her suit pants as she stood. She raised her chin a bit, feeling her teeth clenched together as her jaw moved in response to her frustration. It was a trick her father had taught her growing up on how to remain and always appear in control.

"Welcome to the family, Lauren." Trick seemed happy about this as he smiled. There was no malice or blood lust behind the man's words or expression, but Lauren knew as she walked out of his office and out of the compound into her car that her world had finally and completely changed, and there was now no turning back.

* * *

After that meeting the other day, Bo was actually surprised when Trick didn't call the hounds to do a lot of damage. Somehow, Bo knew that it was Lauren who had convinced him this was the best method, and she was actually intrigued that her grandfather listened. He didn't always listen to Mr. Lewis, so it seemed odd that he would listen to Lauren, especially considering she had been away from and never really been a part of the business before. For a minute, Bo was worried that Trick was going soft because she knew Lauren was a big softie, even if she did hide behind that cold exterior. She could be influencing Trick to go soft, too. That was why people seemed more shocked when he declared his decision to the Elders and made it very clear that no violence would happen unless necessary. Trick didn't get his nickname as the Blood King because he was soft.

However, Bo wasn't surprised in the least when some of the soldiers found things more necessary than probably were. She also wasn't surprised when Trick scolded them for their inability to follow orders. It did appease the Elders, though, when the soldiers were punished for their incompetence. Watching Lauren's face as she witnessed her first finger removal made Bo want to physically pull Lauren to her in that room and wrap her in a big hug to shield her eyes, despite their audience. She felt this strong need to protect Lauren from this life, as she watched the doctor hardly respond, which worried Bo that the violence had already tainted her.

One thing that meeting did was make Bo actually do something about her resurfaced feelings for Lauren instead of thinking or talking about doing something. She needed out of this stalemate, so she did the one thing she knew Lauren could not avoid.

Bo made an appointment.

She knew she would be on the VIP list with the nurse, which meant Dr. Lewis herself would be giving the entire private examination. It was exactly the opportunity Bo needed, and she didn't feel guilty in the slightest as she walked around Lauren's office and observed her surroundings while she waited on the doctor. There were hardly any decorations beyond medical things, a few plants, and two picture frames with pictures of her niece and nephew. There was nothing here to indicate Lauren was anything other than a professional. Bo picked up the picture of Maddie and couldn't help but smile at the adorable little girl. She could tell why her son was so smitten with her.

Lauren walked into the room with that same curious and caring look that Bo used to associate with her. She must have noticed the name on the tablet chart because her expression changed before she looked up and let out a deep breath. They made eye contact, and Lauren tried her best to be professional and not act annoyed, but Bo could tell she was affected. Lauren may try to keep hidden and come across as cold and detached, but Bo knew her better than that, and she desperately craved to see the passionate and loving side of Lauren surface again.

"Why, hello, Doctor." She put down the picture in her hands and moved over to sit on the exam table, not even hiding the flirtation in her tone, expression, or movements. She didn't want Lauren to have any doubt about her real intentions, which she immediately recognized were not completely noble the second she saw Lauren walking in and looking sexy in her doctor's coat. She was always so put together, but her beauty was so subtle.

"Bo." She let out another breath before pulling a stylus pen from her pocket and marking a note on the tablet. Bo craned her neck to see what she was writing, but it wasn't any use because Lauren still had illegible chicken scratch. Technology didn't make it any better.

"Fancy meeting you here." Bo removed her jacket, not missing how Lauren glanced briefly at her bare arms and cleavage. This only caused Bo to smile and give herself an internal high five for being right that Lauren had been checking her out lately. Much like her beauty, Lauren was subtle in her flirting and gazing; she was always good at that, but Bo knew what to look for, and she had been looking for it. She felt a sense of relief and excitement in the meeting the other day when she saw it for the first time since Lauren returned.

"Well, this is my office, so…" Lauren smirked a bit, and Bo was glad this wouldn't be as hard as she thought. She remembered the playfulness behind closed doors and felt the energy in the room shift as Lauren went to shut the door and walk closer to her, laying the tablet on a table before coming to stand in front of Bo. It was the first time Lauren had touched her, as she started to rub her fingers along her throat. It was a very doctor-y move, but Bo had the instinct to reach up and grip Lauren's hand in hers. The touch only amplified what she wanted and what she was feeling. If only Lauren wasn't so clinical about it, Bo wouldn't hesitate to just take what she wanted. This actually reminded her of when they first started flirting back in high school. Bo knew it was a challenge, and it was actually hard to tell if Lauren was into her at times, but she was patient and up for the challenge. If she had known she would fall in love with Lauren back then, Bo wondered if her younger self would have pursued her so strongly. It was just supposed to be a conquering, but after that first kiss, Bo knew it would be so much more.

"Who knew all those times we played doctor in high school would lead to this moment?" Bo smirked again, biting her lip to stop from shivering from the coldness of Lauren's hands. Her own skin was prickling with goosebumps the more Lauren touched her. Bo looked up at the ceiling and willed herself to remain calm as Lauren stared at her chest when she pressed the stethoscope against her heart. Bo knew it was beating erratically, and she could see the concern etched in Lauren's brow.

"I see your heartbeat is still faster than average." Lauren picked up the tablet and pen and started making notes again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and not making eye contact. "Nobody has ever prescribed you anything for that?"

"It's not always that fast." Bo could tell Lauren understood her meaning the second their eyes met. She also could tell the barely noticeable intake of breath Lauren took at realizing her meaning. "It's actually not beat that fast in a very, very long time."

"Good to know." Lauren let out a deep breath and just like that, her professional mask was back. Bo could tell she was fighting to keep it there, though, because the corners of her mouth were struggling not to upturn.

"You realize this is the most words we have spoken to each other since you've been back?" Bo relaxed as she watched Lauren's careful movements. It had to be hard to keep this exterior when it was so obvious that she wanted to break it right now; at least it was obvious to Bo, but again, she knew what to look for.

"Well, you're making it a little difficult to ignore you right now." Lauren smirked a bit as she pulled the light thingy up to check Bo's eyes. Bo followed her instructions without a fuss, even though she really wanted to play with her to test the waters a little more.

"I heard you met Kenzi." She didn't want there to be awkward silence, so she tried to think of things that would be safe to talk about. Lauren was obviously warming up to her again, but Bo didn't want to scare her away when they just started going in the right direction.

"Yes. I met Kenzi." Lauren raised an eyebrow, but she was unsuccessful at hiding her smirk now. If she wasn't careful, that smirk was going to turn into a big smile. Bo craved for that to happen.

"I know how you feel about Hale, but Kenzi is convinced you're a threat, no matter how much both of us tell her otherwise." Bo chuckled, but she noticed Lauren's expression turned serious again. She wasn't sure what she said that would have broken the subtle progress they'd made so far. "I just know how protective you used to get over the girls Hale dated. You should know Kenzi is good, and they're good together."

"Whoever Hale dates or sleeps with is his business. I gave up my right as protective best friend years ago." Lauren's nostrils flared a bit, and she almost looked like she was holding back anger.

"Well, he never stopped. You should know that. Hale has always been protective of you, even all these years you've been gone." Bo let out a breath, feeling like she had done something wrong and desperately wanting to fix it. This meeting was not going like she hoped. "I, um…I never did, either."

"I don't remember you being particularly protective of me when I was here." Lauren narrowed her eyes, though there wasn't any real malice behind her tone. She was actually hard to read, and that worried and scared Bo more. "I actually remember the opposite, especially when you were with your friends."

"I'm not that person anymore." Bo swallowed hard, not having enough words to say how truly sorry she was. She could apologize, but it would probably just be stale to Lauren. She apologized half-heartedly all of the time when they were sneaking around, and even if she did mean it this time, Bo knew Lauren didn't have to believe her. That's what made this harder than she anticipated. "You're not the same person, either."

"I know." Lauren moved back and turned away from Bo, who still caught the deep breath Lauren was trying to hide.

"I was an idiot back then, and I regret every mean thing I ever said to you." Bo knew the risk was greater for them now, but she really didn't care. She didn't want to be that person she was before; she wanted to be somebody who was actually worthy of someone like Lauren. "I know you probably don't want to hear it, but I need to say it. I need you to know that I really did love you, and I'm not an idiot anymore."

"I know." Lauren seemed to relax her features a bit as she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. Of all things she wanted to see, Bo wanted to see Lauren happy and smiling like she actually was happy.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive me for my past actions. I was awful to you when it wasn't just the two of us or the two of us with Hale. I just…loved you so much that it scared me. We weren't supposed to be together, and I was too afraid of people finding out. It just seemed easier that way." Bo cleared her throat because she knew it wasn't just her. Lauren could have told somebody; she could have stopped coming back to Bo over and over again. They were both in it together. "I've grown up. I guess you could say I had a dawning of sorts. It's made me stronger and more in control of my life. I'm not afraid anymore." They could have talked about it instead of ending on such a sour note. Maybe things would be different between them now. Maybe they would have led completely different lives if they had been brave enough back then. "I still…"

"I know." Lauren didn't let her finish, and Bo couldn't break the close contact they had right now. It was the closest they had been in a long time, and staring into Lauren's eyes now only made Bo want to fight even harder for this woman. She really missed the way Lauren looked at her.

"I just needed to be clear. I know I had a problem with that in the past." Bo held their eye contact, wanting to reach out and touch Lauren physically somehow. "If I'm going to convince you I'm not a monster anymore, I need to tell you things."

"Bo, you're not a monster." Lauren looked away finally as she stepped back and walked over to her desk. She seemed to feel safer when there was space between them, as she physically relaxed more the further apart they were. Bo remembered a time when they couldn't relax until they were behind closed doors and in each other's arms, and she longed for that feeling again. Seeing Lauren now, though, she wondered if she should have left well enough alone. She looked so torn; almost like she hated herself for fighting but that she would hate herself more for giving in. Bo really wanted to make that inner turmoil disappear to happier thoughts. She didn't want Lauren to have to fight her feelings, but she knew she deserved to be ignored. She had been awful to Lauren and it was silly of her to think they could have what they had again. Maybe she was just lonely and projecting her past feelings for Lauren into this new Lauren. Maybe she was longing for something that she used to have. Maybe her guilt about her past actions made her want to try again just to prove to herself she could be a good girlfriend. "And I loved you."

"I know." Bo bit her lip because she could feel the attraction was still there. She could actually feel the tension in the air, and she knew she wasn't projecting that. Bo was always good at telling when people were attracted to her, and Lauren was no exception right now. She was hard to read before, but Bo smirked a little when she realized Lauren had to move away from her just now because she was having a hard time controlling herself. She was breathing a little heavier than usual, her face was a little more flushed than normal, and she was staring at Bo's neck; something Lauren used to do when she was desperately trying to keep control around Bo.

"We have to work together from now on, so it's important to Trick that we get along." Lauren tried to be casual and professional, but when she tucked her hands into her coat pockets as she moved closer again, Bo gave herself an internal double high five for actually succeeding somewhat in her mission today. Lauren looked like she had been running the trails around the compound, but Bo knew her physical reactions were for a completely different kind of run. "Checkup complete. You're a perfectly healthy specimen."

"Thanks, Doctor Lauren." It was a name Bo used to call her when they were messing around and playing "doctor." She made sure her voice didn't hide her flirtatious inflection and loved when she noticed Lauren's cheeks flush even more. She stood from the exam table and grabbed her jacket, making sure to stay close to Lauren and getting into her private space a little and breathing in that familiar honey citrus scent, though it was mixed with doctor-y smells now. "See you around."

"Say hello to Bryce for me." Lauren said as Bo moved to open the door. She didn't sound angry or upset about it; Bo knew Lauren mentioned it just to let her know she knew about her son.

"He'll be happy to hear from you. He's a big fan of yours; takes after his mom." Bo let out a deep breath, wondering if that was why Lauren seemed upset earlier. Was it because she had kept something so personal from her? It wasn't like they had been talking. It wasn't like she tried to hide it. Actually, Bo was relieved Lauren knew the situation because it would make it easier to woo her without hiding things. And if there was one thing Bo learned from this "appointment," it was that she would definitely be wooing Lauren Lewis again. This time, it wouldn't just be about the challenge, either, though Bo could admit that made it more exciting. No, this time, Bo knew she wanted to pursue Lauren for the right reasons. This definitely wasn't projection; the feelings were still there and still strong, and she desperately wanted Lauren to finally see how worthy she really was now.


End file.
